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SALIDA, Colo. (KDVR) – Just days before the first anniversary of Suzanne Morphew’s 2020 disappearance, her family learned that Suzanne’s husband has been arrested and accused of murder in the case.

FOX21 reporter Lauren Scharf has been in touch with Morphew’s family since they got word of the Wednesday development.

“They’re thankful that finally justice is starting to come for their sister and their daughter,” Scharf told Alex Rose on FOX31 NOW.

Barry Morphew, 53, faces counts of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence and attempting to influence a public servant.

People who witnessed the Wednesday arrest alerted Scharf to the news. Suzanne’s sister then confirmed that Barry had been arrested just after 9 a.m. Wednesday – an alert she got from Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze.

“He promised her from the get-go, when he first talked to her, that she would be the first person that he would tell when an arrest was made,” Scharf said.

The arrest comes just days after Suzanne’s family and friends celebrated what would have been her 50th birthday.

There was a balloon release on Friday in Poncha Springs, right outside of Maysville, where the Morphews shared a home. And on Sunday, family in her hometown of Alexandria, Indiana, remembered their loved one.

Morphew’s sister told Scharf that the past year has been a difficult time for both families involved.

“Both sides of the family – the Morphews and (Suzanne’s family) the Moormans – have been going through a lot this past year not knowing exactly what happened, and still having faith and hope that law enforcement will get to the bottom of what happened to Suzanne Morphew,” Scharf said. “And a lot of them might be still in shock that there was an arrest.”

Most of Suzanne’s family live outside of Colorado and now expect to travel here as the next steps in Barry’s murder case play out, Scharf said.

Suzanne was reported missing on May 10, 2020. In the months after her disappearance, police executed two search warrants on the couple’s Maysville home, but authorities had not named any suspects until now.