West
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
“[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
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
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
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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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.
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Colorado
As Colorado legislative session winds down, property tax reform is still in the air, but progress on other fronts
For the second year in a row, the sounds of Cinco de Mayo echoed into the Capitol as lawmakers toiled on a Saturday to find common ground on proposed reforms to state land use and property tax policy.
The 120-day legislative session ends Wednesday, and lawmakers are still wrestling with some of the marquee proposals of the session, though with some breakthroughs on issues that had threatened to chew up valuable time — while other potential hot spots emerged.
The Senate passed Saturday a significantly narrowed ban on minimum parking requirements, one of the proposed land use reforms that emerged from the failure of last year’s omnibus proposal. The original bill had aimed to ban parking minimums throughout many of Colorado’s cities and suburbs. To tone down opposition, sponsor Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, a Pueblo Democrat, limited the ban just to areas along transit corridors. (Senators also ribbed Hinrichsen by offering an amendment that would remove his parking spot at the Capitol.)
“It will save a lot of money for builders, and they’ll be able to offer more product in the form of affordable housing, to actually build housing, as opposed to building parking and housing for folks that don’t necessarily want any parking,” Sen. Kevin Priola, a Henderson Democrat and bill sponsor, said.
The proposal, House Bill 1304, will now need to return to the House for reconsideration. Meanwhile, two other major land use proposals — one to boost the number of accessory dwelling units through the state and another to increase density along transit corridors — still need to formally pass the Senate after passing the House. Some senators have raised concerns about both as possibly stepping on local control.
Meanwhile, lawmakers negotiating a proposed long-term reform to property taxes continued to run around the Capitol to find a deal in the waning days. It needs to be introduced on Monday at the latest to have enough time to clear the building before the end of the regular session — and stave off another potential special session on property tax.
In addition to filling a gap in tax policy left by the repeal of the Gallagher Amendment and giving property owners a break on rising property taxes, they’re trying to head off ballot initiatives that would severely cap property tax collections. Backers of the initiatives argue it’s about keeping the government from growing faster than paychecks and keeping homeowners solvent. But state officials, including some elected Republicans, warn it would lead to draconian cuts to state and local government services.
Parties on all sides of the negotiation say they’re closing in on a deal, but it is still being tuned — and not guaranteed.
“We’re pushing really hard,” said Dave Davia, president of Colorado Concern, a business group backing some of the initiatives, adding that they’re hoping for a legislative solution.
Other priority bills for Democratic leadership continued apace Saturday.
The Senate formally passed a pair of bills to reduce emissions from oil and gas production and levy a per-barrel fee to pay for transit and wildlife habitat. The bills were introduced this week to ease simmering tensions between environmental groups, legislators and the industry and end dueling legislation and ballot initiatives affecting the industry. They will now go to the House for consideration.
Another bill, to put a 6.5% excise tax on guns and ammo in Colorado, also cleared a key Senate committee after concerns about its movement through the chamber boiled over into the public. The tax would raise an estimated $39 million a year and go to victim services and behavioral health programs.
The Democratic Women’s Caucus of Colorado publicly accused Sen. Kyle Mullica, a Thornton Democrat, of holding up the bill and threatening to kill it. He called the letter full of “falsehoods” and said the bill was merely going through standard amendment negotiations. He praised advocates and bill sponsors before voting yes on the bill in committee.
Meanwhile, the amended bill raised the hackles of Sen. Kevin Van Winkle, a Highlands Ranch Republican, because it removed school security as a possible use for the excise tax. He promised “vigorous” debate on the Senate floor if it isn’t replaced — a potent threat as lawmakers race against the Constitutionally required end of the session.
Voters will also have the chance to remove defunct language in the Colorado Constitution defining marriage as between a man and woman, after the House approved a referred measure Saturday. It already cleared the Senate. Referred measures to amend the state Constitution need at least two-thirds support in each chamber to pass. It passed with bipartisan support in the Senate, but near party lines in the House, where Democrats hold a supermajority.
The proposed amendment would remove a ban approved by voters in 2006. It has been unenforceable since 2015, when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide with its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. A majority of voters will need to approve the proposal this November for it to take effect.
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Hawaii
Tourists Risk Arrest for Last Chance on Hawaii Trail
For tourists using Instagram to guide their travels, a sojourn for one last shot at visiting the famous Ha’iku Stairs in Oahu could come with a hefty price. The days are numbered for Honolulu’s famous selfie spot, and CNN reports that tourists are flocking there hoping to grab a glimpse of the island from its heights before the stairs are dismantled. The problem is that the hike—nicknamed “Stairway to Heaven”—is illegal and passes through private property in sections. At least five people were arrested for first-degree trespassing last month and lots more received warnings or lesser charges.
“The city was disappointed and dismayed to learn that so many individuals appear to have recklessly disregarded clear warnings that the project to dismantle the Ha’iku Stairs has begun, putting themselves—and, potentially, first responders—in harm’s way,” said a spokeswoman for the city of Honolulu. The Washington Post notes that rescues from the trail—the 3,922 stairs rise to 2,800 feet above sea level—have been unfortunately frequent. Between 2010 and October 2022, authorities rescued more than 100 people, per KHON, and just this September, a woman and her dog had to be airlifted out by helicopter after falling 50 feet.
The Ha’iku Stairs were built by the US Navy during World War II, but were officially closed in 1987. Honolulu’s city council voted in 2021 to remove the steps, which attract an estimated 4,000 visitors each year. The council specifically cited social media for enticing people to make the trip, not only in sharing tips on how to get there but with the virality of “panoramic pictures that have encouraged people from around the world to take the hike.” Removal has hit snags but is expected to get going in earnest following an evidentiary hearing on May 10, reports Hawaii News Now. (A town in Japan made a ‘regrettable’ move in regard to Mount Fuji.)
Idaho
2024 Idaho Steelheads vs Kansas City Mavericks – FloHockey – Hockey
Event Info
Here’s how to watch the 2024 Idaho Steelheads vs Kansas City Mavericks broadcast on FloHockey. The 2024 Idaho Steelheads vs Kansas City Mavericks broadcast starts on May 5, 2024. Stream or cast from your desktop, mobile or TV. Now available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV. Don’t forget to download the FloSports app on iOS or Android! If you can’t watch live, catch up with the replays! Video footage from the event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloHockey subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscription.
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