[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A husband who had even shed tears pleading for help in finding his missing wife was arrested as a prime murder suspect after one year.
According to major foreign media on the 6th (local time), the Chaffee County Police in Colorado, USA, arrested Barry Morphy (53) on charges of murdering his wife, destroying evidence, and attempting to obstruct official duties.
Susan (49), Morphy's wife and mother of two children, went missing after going out for a bike ride in early May last year. Investigators launched a search, and a bicycle presumed to be Susan's was found a few days after the missing person report, but her body was never recovered.
After his wife went missing, Morphy posted a video on his Facebook pleading for her safe return. In the video, Morphy tearfully said regarding his wife's disappearance, "I will do whatever it takes to get you back," and offered a $200,000 reward, appealing for help in finding her.
With the husband's desperate plea, interest in the case surged, prompting not only local police but also Colorado state investigators and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to join the investigation. However, there was no progress for a year.
Recently, the investigation took a new turn following testimony from a worker who said he had gone on a business trip with Morphy at the time Susan disappeared.
Jeffrey Puckett, known as a worker hired by Morphy, revealed suspicions about Morphy in a local media interview. He said there was a smell of chlorine, a chemical substance, in Morphy's room. This raised suspicions that Morphy might have used chlorine to remove bloodstains.
Puckett claimed, "A letter addressed to Barry was also found in Morphy's room, which seemed like an attempt to create an alibi."
In response, Morphy denied the allegations in a local media interview, saying, "The chlorine smell was due to hotel cleaning supplies." He also insisted, "I love my wife," adding, "She is the light of my life and our two daughters', and this is so hard that I feel like dying," expressing his innocence.
However, the hotel manager denied using chlorine for cleaning. He also stated that the swimming pool, which uses chlorine for water disinfection, was not operating due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.
Residents of Chaffee County were shocked upon hearing the news, given Morphy's previous tearful attitude regarding his wife's disappearance.
John Speese, Chief of Chaffee County Police, stated, "We do not believe Susan is alive," but also said that the investigation is ongoing and did not disclose specific details such as Morphy's statements.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
