Oh, Barry!
ALAMOSA COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A judge has ordered Barry Morphew to remain at home with no exceptions after concerns were raised about an alleged
krdo.com
ALAMOSA COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A judge has ordered
Barry Morphew to remain at home with no exceptions after concerns were raised about an alleged hit-and-run in Denver last week.
According to a court order issued Wednesday, Sept. 2,
the judge was notified that Morphew, who has been accused of killing his wife, was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run crash on Aug. 26 at about 7:30 p.m.
The court said a driver involved in the incident reported that Morphew was driving aggressively before striking two vehicles. The judge also said they viewed video of the encounter that was included in a CBS Colorado report.
The judge said the video appears to show Morphew refusing to provide his name or identification and saying he did not have insurance. According to the order, Morphew offered one driver $300 for the damage, which she refused.
The court said Morphew then appeared to rub scratches on the vehicle with his hand and T-shirt before leaving the scene after the driver said she was calling police. The judge said Morphew nearly struck another person and drove over a curb while leaving.
The vehicle Morphew was driving also had an Indiana license plate that prosecutors previously raised concerns about in connection with his bond.
Morphew's current release conditions require him to remain at home except for limited circumstances, including medical appointments or emergencies, meetings with his legal team, court appearances or work.
He is also prohibited from committing new felony offenses and can only drive vehicles registered in his name with a valid driver's license. His release conditions also require him to use only the name Barry Morphew and prohibit the use of an alias.
The judge said the alleged conduct could potentially involve felony offenses, but noted that no court with jurisdiction over the Denver incident has yet found probable cause that Morphew committed a felony.
Under Colorado law, the judge said the court cannot independently revoke or modify Morphew's bond without a finding of probable cause for a new felony. Prosecutors or a bonding commissioner can seek revocation or modification, but Morphew must first have an opportunity to be heard.
For now, the judge ordered Morphew to remain in his home at all times, with no exceptions. If he has a medical emergency, he may call 911 and be transported by ambulance.
The judge also ordered Morphew to provide proof that the vehicle involved in the Denver incident is registered in his name with the license plate that was attached.
A hearing will be set for next week to address the matter, regardless of whether prosecutors seek to revoke Morphew's bond.
The order also states that the court attempted to obtain information from Morphew's GPS monitoring provider regarding his whereabouts and any permission he may have had to leave his home on the night of the alleged incident. The provider did not comply with the court's orders by the specified deadline.
KRDO13 has reached out to Morphew's attorney for comment.
Morphew's wife, Suzanne,
disappeared in Salida back on Mother's Day in 2020. She was reported to have gone on a bike ride in Chaffee County and never returned.
A year after her disappearance,
her husband, Barry, was arrested and charged with murder-- but
the case was dismissed in 2022.
Her
body was later found in 2023, and her
death was ruled a homicide. Her body being found meant the case had new evidence, and Morphew was charged with murder once again.
READ MORE: New evidence leads to Barry Morphew’s arrest in the alleged murder of his wife
Suzanne's death
was rulled a “homicide by unspecified means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine (BAM) intoxication,"-- three drugs commonly used as animal sedatives. According to his indictment, law enforcement located a locked gun safe in the Morphew residence, which held a tranquilizer rifle. Investigators also discovered packages of darts in the safe and found a needle cap for one of those darts in the Morphews' dryer.
Morphew has maintained his innocence in his wife's death since she disappeared.
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