The husband of Chaffee County resident Suzanne Morphew, who was reported missing Mother’s Day weekend last year, has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence, according to court records.

Barry Morphew, 53, was booked into the county jail Wednesday, records show.

The arrest comes nearly a year after Suzanne Morphew, a 49-year-old mother of two, was reported missing May 10, 2020, after she left for a solo Mother’s Day bike ride near Salida. It also marks the culmination of an extensive investigation, Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze said during a news conference Wednesday.

More than 70 investigators with the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the FBI and dozens of other local law enforcement agencies helped execute more than 135 search warrants across the state, interview more than 400 people and investigate more than 1,400 tips, Spezze said.

The search for Suzanne Morphew’s body is continuing, he said. 

“Today is not the day for celebration, nor does it mark the end of this investigation. Rather it’s a next step in this very difficult but very important journey as we seek justice for Suzanne and her family,” Spezze said.

In early April, findings from the investigation were presented to the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

While Suzanne’s body has not yet been discovered, District Attorney Linda Stanley said she is “confident” in the charges made against Barry Morphew. She declined to give details on what led to his arrest or the cause of Suzanne’s death. 

The affidavit for Barry Morphew is sealed.

Morphew was reported missing after the couple’s daughters, who were on a camping trip, asked a neighbor to check in on their mom when they couldn’t reach her for a Mother’s Day phone call. The neighbor, determining Morphew was missing, called 911.

Sheriff’s detectives found Morphew’s bicycle in a ravine that evening. Authorities told The Gazette her turquoise bike helmet was found nearby days later.

On May 17, a week after Suzanne was reported missing, Barry Morphew posted a video to a Facebook page created to share updates on his wife’s search efforts.

“Oh, Suzanne, if anyone is out there that can hear this that has you, please do whatever it takes to bring you back,” Morphew said in the video. Previous attempts by The Gazette to contact Barry Morphew were unsuccessful.

In September, Suzanne’s brother led a 5-day search near Salida in which 100 volunteers looked for any evidence related to her disappearance. The community search was held separately from the official investigation, which is being led by the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, the 11th Judicial District, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the FBI.

Barry Morphew, Suzanne’s husband of 26 years, told authorities he was on a landscaping job in Denver the day his wife disappeared.