CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Prosecutors have filed new charges against Barry Morphew, alleging the man accused of murdering his missing wife submitted a presidential ballot in her name.
Morphew was recently arrested on charges of murdering his wife, Suzanne, after she disappeared a year ago. She still has yet to be found.
Timeline: What we know about the disappearance of Suzanne Morphew
Court documents show he now faces one felony count for allegedly forging public documents and a misdemeanor mail in ballot offense. Bond has been set at $1,000 but he’s being held without bail on the murder charges.
According to the arrest affidavit, investigators responded to the Chaffee County Clerk and Recorder’s Office after the clerk made a report of alleged voter fraud in October of 2020. The clerk told investigators that they’d received a presidential ballot from Suzanne even though she was missing.
The ballot didn’t contain Suzanne’s signature, but it did list Barry as the witness. The ballot was photographed and seized as a piece of evidence.
On April 22, Barry was asked by FBI agents why he submitted a ballot for Suzanne.
“Just because I wanted Trump to win…I know she (Suzanne) was going to vote for Trump anyways,” he told investigators. He also said he thought the “other guys'” were cheating so he would “give him (former president Trump) another vote.”
When FBI agents asked him whether he knew submitting a ballot for someone else’s ballot was illegal, he said, “I didn’t know you couldn’t do that for your spouse.”
Suzanne Morphew’s family learns of husband’s arrest, awaits next steps in murder case
Barry was arrested and made his first court appearance in Chaffee County last week. He has yet to enter a plea to any of the charges he’s facing. He’s scheduled to make another court appearance on May 27.