Barry Morphew, in jail on murder charges in the death of his wife, bonded out of the Alamosa County jail Friday after securing surety on a $3 million bond.

As per judge’s orders, he was fitted with a GPS ankle monitor.

His attorney, David Beller, confirmed late Thursday night that “funds for the bond were paid by friends and supporters.”

Morphew was released at around noon on Friday. Clerical errors made in the bond paperwork Thursday postponed his release, according to Alamosa County Sheriff Lt. William Squires. He said that during the three months that Morphew was in the Alamosa County Detention Center, Morphew was “a superb inmate who kept to himself and had respect for the jail staff.” 

The bail bondsman, Richard Jordan of Denver’s A-1 Bail Bonds, could not be reached for comment on how much cash Morphew had to post in order to be released from jail. Squires said that Jordan’s registered license had expired, among other snafus in the paperwork, which had to be corrected before Morphew could be legally let go.

Earlier this month, District Court Judge Amanda Hopkins denied a request by Morphew to reduce bond to $500,000, though she did change the requirement from a cash bond to a $3 million surety bond, which meant he could await trial at home if a bail bond company was willing to guarantee the money or someone is willing to put that value of property on the line.

Usually 10-15% of a surety bond is required, and is non-refundable.

Morphew is liquidating all of his assets in order to pay his legal bills, according to Beller, and will be preparing for trial while confined to a Colorado residence. Under stipulations from the court, he will only be allowed outside for legal and medical appointments. 

An Alamosa County Sheriff’s deputy confirmed Wednesday night that Morphew was still at the Alamosa County Detention Center as he prepares for his release. 

The fact that Morphew made bail was first reported by the Alamosa Citizen. 

Morphew has been in custody since June after he was indicted by a 12th Judicial District grand jury. He was arrested in connection with the murder of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, June 20 in Gilbert, Arizona during a traffic stop by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

For months, he had been living in Arizona under the name Lee Moore. 

Suzanne Morphew, 49, disappeared from the couple’s Chaffee County home in May 2020, sparking a massive search. Despite never finding a body, Morphew, 56, was arrested on suspicion of murder in 2021 but the case was dropped after alleged prosecutorial misconduct.

Prosecutors allege he and Suzanne Morphew were in a combative relationship and that his phone was turned off for a long period the day she vanished.

In subsequent interviews, he and his daughters professed his innocence. But in 2023 human remains were found in rural Saguache County in the San Luis Valley that were identified as those of Suzanne Morphew. According to the grand jury indictment, the bones tested positive for a wildlife tranquilizer for which Morphew had access, and that he is the only person in Colorado with access to it.

The next hearing in the case is set for Nov. 3. As for when the case could go to trial, attorneys said it would be next summer at the earliest.

Denver Gazette contributor R. Scott Rappold contributed to this report.