Man Accused of Killing Wife Who Vanished in 2020 Has Bond Hiked After Judge Slams Lack of ‘Respect for the Court’

Barry Morphew, 58, allegedly violated his $3 million bond by going to the airport, a steakhouse and Whole Foods and getting into a hit-and-run

NEED TO KNOW

• Barry Morphew is accused of murdering his wife, Suzanne Morphew, who vanished on a Mother’s Day bike ride in 2020 and whose remains were found in 2023
• Morphew was charged in 2025 in connection with his wife’s death
• Initially released on a $3 million bond, he was ordered to wear an ankle monitor and to leave his house only for work, emergencies and court — and prosecutors allege he did not comply

A Colorado judge has raised to $10 million the bond of a man accused of killing his wife, who disappeared in 2020, after prosecutors said he violated the conditions of his release and posed a flight risk.

At a hearing in court on Tuesday, Sept. 8, Alamosa County District Judge Amanda Hopkins had harsh words for murder suspect Barry Morphew when she raised his cash bond. 

“Mr. Morphew has shown time and again that he has no respect for any order of this court, and he is not going to comply with it if it is an inconvenience to the lifestyle he wishes to live while out on bond,” Hopkins said, ABC News reports.

In June 2025, Barry Morphew, 58, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, 49, a mother of two who vanished while on a bike ride on Mother’s Day in 2020 near their Salida, Colo., home, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Nearly three years later, in September 2023, her remains were found in a shallow grave in Moffat, about 47 miles south of Salida.

Morphew was initially released on a $3 million bond and ordered to wear an ankle monitor to track his movements via GPS. According to the conditions of his release, Morphew could only leave home for emergencies, medical appointments, court and meetings with his lawyer. He was later allowed to leave home to work, per ABC News.

Prosecutors asked the judge to raise Morphew’s bond after accusing him of violating the terms of his release when he was involved in an alleged hit-and-run in August in Denver and had driven to the Denver International Airport, according to GPS data, ABC News, KDVR and The Denver Post reported.

In court on Tuesday, Sept. 8, prosecutor Fred Johnson called Morphew a flight risk, saying that when he went to the airport, he could have boarded a plane and fled the U.S., CNN reports.

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“We are very, very concerned he has just demonstrated what he’s going to do when push comes to shove,” Johnson said, per CNN.

Prosecutors told the judge that on Aug. 26, the day of the alleged hit-and-run, Morphew drove to the airport to pick someone up and then was “just out and about with his day, no work whatsoever,” according to ABC News.

Morphew also made a “series of trips that are not work-related,” including going to a steakhouse and Whole Foods, prosecutors said, ABC News reports.

On Wednesday, Sept. 2, the judge placed Morphew on full-time house arrest. On Thursday, Sept. 3, Morphew was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant from Alamosa County for failing to comply, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Morphew pleaded not guilty to murder and has denied any involvement in her death, per ABC. He is scheduled to go on trial in 2027.

In 2021, before Suzanne Morphew’s remains were found, prosecutors charged Morphew with presumed murder. In April 2022, a judge dismissed all charges against him.

Morphew’s attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.