West

Missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew's autopsy complete, authorities say

Published

2 years ago

April 25, 2024

Missing Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew's autopsy complete, authorities say

A Colorado medical examiner has completed an autopsy for Suzanne Morphew, a mom of two who went missing in 2020 before her remains were found in October 2023.

Authorities announced last year that Morphew’s remains were located in the area of Moffat, Colorado, in Saguache County — about 45 miles south of her home in Maysville, Colorado, where the 49-year-old mother was reported missing on May 10, 2020.

Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) spokesperson Rob Low confirmed to Fox News Digital that the autopsy of Morphew’s remains “is complete,” and Chaffee County Coroner Jeff Graf “anticipates being able to release the autopsy report on Monday.”

Morphew’s remains were “NOT found anywhere in the vicinity of her home, the town nearby, or the county she lived in,” attorney Iris Eytan, who represents Morphew’s husband, Barry Morphew, and his family, said in an October 2023 statement.

SUZANNE MORPHEW’S REMAINS FOUND IN ‘SHALLOW GRAVE,’ HUSBAND’S ATTORNEY SAYS

The Suzanne Morphew murder case has become even more muddied after a Colorado attorney counsel accused 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley, who filed since-dropped murder charges against Suzanne’s husband, Barry Morphew, of prosecutorial misconduct in an Oct. 30 complaint. (Chaffee County Sheriff)

“[H]er remains were found in a shallow grave in a dry desert field of sagebrush and natural grasses. Contrary to prior accusations, her remains were not found in a rocky mountainous region near her home, not in a location that was a ‘difficult spot’ to get to,” Eytan said at the time.

Autopsy results will likely include a cause and manner of death for Morphew, bringing her family one step closer to answers surrounding her mysterious disappearance and death, four years after she vanished from a Mother’s Day bike ride.

SUZANNE MORPHEW’S HUSBAND, DAUGHTERS ‘STRUGGLING WITH IMMENSE SHOCK AND GRIEF’ AFTER REMAINS FOUND

Authorities announced last week that Morphew’s remains were located in the area of Moffat, Colorado, in Saguache County — about 45 miles south of her home in Maysville, Colorado, where she was reported missing on May 10, 2020. (Colorado Bureau of Investigation)

Morphew’s bicycle was discovered in a ravine along Highway 50 and County Road 225 in Chaffee County, near her family’s Maysville home the same day she went missing. Barry said he was working in Broomfield, Colorado, a suburb of Denver, at the time.

Barry was initially accused of killing his wife when he was charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence in 2021 in connection with her disappearance and presumed death.

REMAINS OF MISSING COLORADO MOM SUZANNE MORPHEW FOUND THREE YEARS AFTER DISAPPEARANCE

Barry Morphew was previously accused of killing his wife before prosecutors dismissed charges against him in 2022. (Courtesy of Suzanne Morphew’s Family)

A year later, prosecutors dropped charges against Barry, saying they wanted more time to find his wife’s body. A judge accused 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley of procedural violations just before Barry was set to stand trial.

Barry’s legal team filed a $15 million lawsuit against prosecutors and investigators in 2023, accusing them of violating his constitutional rights.

MISSING SUZANNE MORPHEW’S HUSBAND SEEKS $15M AFTER MURDER CHARGES DROPPED

Suzanne Morphew’s remains were found in a ‘shallow grave’ more than three years after she went missing in 2020. (Fox News)

Investigators never found any traces of blood near the Morphew home in Maysville or in their family vehicles. DNA was found, however, on Suzanne Morphew’s glovebox. The partial profile investigators were able to obtain matched profiles developed in sexual assault cases out of Chicago, Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona, CBI agent Joseph Cahill said during a hearing in 2021, as The Denver Post reported. Barry’s DNA did not match that sample, his lawyers told KUSA-TV at the time.

Text messages from Suzanne and Barry that were unsealed in June 2023 suggest they were both having affairs just before her disappearance.

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Suzanne Morphew, 49, went missing May 10 after leaving her Colorado home to go on a bike ride. (Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office)

Four days before her disappearance, Suzanne sent Barry a text saying she was “done.” “I could care less what you’re up to and have been for years,” she wrote, adding that they needed to figure things out “civilly.”

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No other arrests have been made in the case. The charges against Barry Morphew were dismissed without prejudice, so prosecutors can still decide to pursue charges against him.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about the case to contact (719) 312-7530.

Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Email tips to audrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants.

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Oregon

Oregonians can now file 2025 taxes. How big the kicker is, what to know

Published

6 minutes ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Oregonians can now file 2025 taxes. How big the kicker is, what to know

It’s officially tax season. The Internal Revenue Service opened the 2026 filing period for the 2025 tax year on Jan. 26.

Oregonians can file their 2025 federal and state income tax returns until April 15. Those who don’t file by the deadline could face a penalty and may need to request an extension.

The Oregon Department of Revenue will also begin processing state income tax returns filed electronically.

Here’s what to know about filing your 2025 taxes.

When is the first day to file 2025 income tax returns in Oregon?

Oregonians can already file their federal and state income tax returns for the 2025 tax year. The season began on Jan. 26.

When is the 2025 income tax return deadline?

The deadline for Oregonians to file their federal and state income tax returns for the 2025 tax year is on April 15.

When will Oregon issue 2025 state tax refunds?

The Oregon Department of Revenue will begin issuing refunds for electronically filed income tax returns on Feb. 15.

For tax returns filed by paper, the Department of Revenue will begin issuing refunds in early April.

According to agency, the IRS was late in sending Oregon the necessary tax forms for 2025, and as a result, Oregon could not begin processing paper-filed personal income tax returns until late March.

Oregonians are encouraged to file electronically to receive a tax refund sooner.

“This year, if you file a paper return, you’re going to face a significant delay in receiving your refund,” said Megan Denison, the administrator of the Personal Tax and Compliance Division at the Department of Revenue. “Taxpayers who file electronically can avoid the extra wait.”

Additionally, the IRS recommends mailing in paper tax forms earlier than the April 15 deadline, as postmarks are not guaranteed for the same day.

Why is Direct File no longer available on the IRS website?

Direct File was a free tax filing program that could be found on the IRS website and used to file taxes for free.

However, following its two-year pilot phase, the Trump administration discontinued the program. The IRS announced in late 2025 that IRS Direct File will no longer be available at the beginning of 2026.

IRS Free File is an alternative option to file federal income taxes for free in 2026 for households with an adjusted gross income of $84,000 or less.

Direct File Oregon is another option to file state income taxes for free in 2026. The program is currently in its third year and allows Oregonians to file directly with the state of Oregon for free.

How much is Oregon’s 2025 kicker rebate?

Oregon taxpayers who qualify could see a share of a $1.4 billion surplus through the state’s “kicker” credit when they file their 2025 income tax returns in 2026.

The refund amount differs depending on the individual but is calculated to be about 9.9% of their Oregon personal income tax liability for the 2024 tax year.

To get an estimate on how much their kicker could be, Oregonians can visit the Oregon Department of Revenue’s “What’s My Kicker?” calculator at revenueonline.dor.oregon.gov/tap/.

How can Oregonians track their refunds?

Oregonians can track their tax refunds by visiting www.irs.gov/wheres-my-refund for federal tax returns, and www.oregon.gov/dor/programs/individuals/pages/where-is-my-refund.aspx for state tax returns.

Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at GSandoval@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval.

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Utah

State officials killed three wolves in northern Utah. Here’s why.

Published

48 minutes ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

State officials killed three wolves in northern Utah. Here’s why.

The killings took place in a region exempt from federal gray wolf protections.

(Dawn Villella |AP) A gray wolf is pictured in 2004 in Minnesota. Utah officials recently killed three wolves after they were seen near livestock in Cache County.

In a rural stretch of southwestern Cache County, state officials killed three wolves earlier this month after the animals were spotted near livestock, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources confirmed Tuesday.

The wolves were shot Jan. 9 by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, said DWR spokesperson Faith Jolley, a move allowed because the animals were found in a small corner of northeastern Utah exempt from federal gray wolf protections.

The region, which lies mostly east of Interstate 15 and extends roughly as far south as Ogden, is considered part of the greater Yellowstone region, where the predator is in recovery. It is the only part of Utah where the state is allowed to manage wolves.

(Christopher Cherrington | The Salt Lake Tribune)

Across the rest of the state, the animal is considered an endangered species. It’s illegal to hunt, harass, trap, shoot or harm them without permission from the federal government.

Jolley said state law directs DWR to prevent wolves from breeding in the delisted area. While the animals were not considered a pack, she said they were believed to be traveling together.

“Lethal removals ensure they don’t establish breeding populations in Utah,” Jolley wrote in a text message.

Caroline Hargraves, a spokesperson for the state agriculture department, said the wolves were found near Avon, a small census-designated community in Cache County of about 500 residents, surrounded mostly by farmland.

Utah leaders have long been hostile to wolves for preying on livestock and thwarting hunters. The state has doled out millions in taxpayer dollars in an effort to get gray wolves removed from the federal endangered species list.

Most confirmed wolf sightings in Utah have involved lone wolves, Jolley said, though small groups have been documented on a few occasions since the first confirmed sighting in 2002.

During the past year, she said, a handful of lone wolves have migrated into Utah from Wyoming and Colorado.

Wolves from Wyoming and Idaho have made their way into Utah at least 21 times since 2004, according to DWR. In September, the agency said it was aware of at least one lone male wolf present in the state.

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Wyoming

Sage-grouse local working groups swiftly disbanded by Game and Fish

Published

1 hour ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Sage-grouse local working groups swiftly disbanded by Game and Fish

WYOMING — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has announced that it is retiring the Sage-Grouse Local Working Groups (LWG) as of Jan. 31, just one month after the Trump administration released a Greater Sage-grouse Resource Management Plan Amendment for Wyoming. “The LWGs were a direct response to the 2003 Wyoming Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan,” the […]

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