Suzanne Morphew's cause of death has finally been revealed, almost four years after she disappeared without a trace while allegedly going for a bike ride on Mother's Day 2020.
After a dramatic case involving a missing mother of two, allegations of extramarital affairs, the high-profile arrest and indictment of her husband Barry Morphew for murder - before the charges were suddenly dropped - and the discovery of human remains, three years later the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now ruled Morphew's death a homicide.
The 49-year-old's death was caused by "homicide by unknown means in the context of butorphanol, azaperone and medetomidine intoxication," the El Paso County coroner's autopsy found.
This cocktail of drugs is often used to calm animals, including bears.
During the investigation into Morphew's disappearance, authorities had found a stun cap in the dryer in the Morphew family home, an FBI agent revealed during a 2021 preliminary hearing.
Mr. Morphew told investigators at the time that he used tranquilizer darts while hunting bucks so he could subdue them and cut off their horns. After charges were dropped against Mr. Morphew, he filed a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking $15 million in damages from his arrest and first-degree murder charge.
According to the autopsy, the drugs found in Morphew's system are "marketed as a compounded injectable chemical immobilizer for wildlife."
The National Institutes of Health describes Butorphanol as "a synthetic opioid used as a nasal spray for the treatment of migraine headaches and parenterally as a narcotic analgesic for moderate to severe pain or as an adjunct to general anesthesia."
The NIH states that a combination of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine is an "effective, safe, and easy-to-use protocol" for immobilizing bears.
"The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and our law enforcement partners understand and appreciate the public interest surrounding this case," CBI Director Chris Schaefer said in a statement.
"The investigative team assembled to investigate this case will continue to follow the evidence and the evidence alone as we seek justice for Suzanne's death."
Morphew disappeared on May 10, 2020, after her husband said she left their home in Salida, Colorado, to go on a bike ride.
Mr. Morphew told police he had left his wife at their home early that morning to travel to a construction job in Denver.
She was reported missing by a neighbor when the couple's two daughters were unable to contact her while they were traveling abroad.
Her bicycle was found later that day at the bottom of a steep ravine off Chaffee County Road 225. Police said it did not appear the bicycle had been involved in an accident and there was no blood at the scene.
At the time, Mr Morphew posted a tearful video on social media pleading for his wife's safe return.
As part of the investigation, authorities conducted 135 searches across the state and more than 400 interviews in multiple states.
In May 2021, a year after she was last seen alive, Mr Morphew was arrested and charged with murder.
It had previously emerged that all was not well in the Morphew's marriage, with the couple regularly arguing over their finances. According to prosecutors, Suzanne bought a spy pen in February 2020 to see if she could arrest Barry in what she believed was an extramarital affair.
"Oh I'm sure your mistress has you all happy now so you can say you love me but tease me when you're with me... yes that's love," she told Barry in a message later was released by officials.
However, in March 2020, Morphew himself had written a message to an old high school flame that seemed to reference an affair of his own. "Nobody loves you... like I do," she wrote. "I crave time with you. I long for the feeling I get when we connect. Physical or emotional. You are my husband. Always."
On May 9, 2020, the day before Morphew disappeared, she sent a photo of herself sunbathing to the man, the last official proof of life police said they had of her.
In addition to the stun cap found in the Morphews' dryer, a preliminary hearing revealed a wealth of other evidence that police allegedly linked to the crime, including cell phone location data and the GPS of Mr. Morphew's truck.
Records showed he opened and closed his truck door several times on the day his wife disappeared between 3 and 4 a.m. without leaving the driveway while his phone was on airplane mode, investigators alleged.
The charges against Mr Morphew were dropped in April 2022 after the prosecution's case failed when they were not allowed to present crucial evidence at trial - after a judge found that the state had withheld substantial evidence that could have proven Mr Morphew's innocence to help.
This included DNA evidence that linked her disappearance to cases of sexual assault in other states and which in turn suggested that another person may have been involved. Mr. Morphew subsequently filed a $15 million lawsuit against provincial officials, accusing them of violating his constitutional rights.
Because they were withdrawn without prejudice, the door remains open for prosecutors to bring a new case against him in the future.
The Morphews' two daughters have been by their father's side throughout.
In September 2023, the remains of the mother of two were found in Saguache County, about 40 miles south of the Salida area. The tragic discovery was made by CBI officers during a search for Edna Quintana, 55, a mother of five who disappeared in May 2023 after going for a walk with a boyfriend.
Following the tragic discovery, Mr Morphew's lawyer released a statement saying he and the couple's daughters were in grief.
"They were confident that their wife and mother would return to their lives. The news is heartbreaking," said a statement from Mr Morphew's lawyers.
"As far as we know, Barry is as innocent as he was from day 1. ...We hope that the authorities will soon admit their wrongful prosecution of Barry, an innocent man, treat the Morphews as the victims they are, and person(s) responsible for Suzanne's murder."
