An Alamosa County district judge has ordered home confinement for Barry Morphew, who is accused of murdering his wife.

Barry Morphew, 59, faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, who disappeared Mother’s Day weekend in 2020.

District Judge Amanda Hopkins had ordered Morphew to remain at home “at all times except for medical appointments or emergencies, to meet with his legal team or attend court or work,” according to an order signed Wednesday.

But she was shown video evidence of Morphew being involved in a hit-and-run crash in Denver on Aug. 26, then leaving the scene after offering the driver he allegedly hit $300 to cover damages, court records show.

Now, she’s exploring whether or not the law allows her to revoke that bond “or modify the conditions of his release unless a court has found probable cause to believe that the Defendant committed a felony while released.”

“While there may potentially be felonious conduct implicated by the actions of the Defendant during the traffic incident, no court with venue and jurisdiction over the traffic incident has yet found probable cause for the same,” according to Hopkins’s order. “Unless and until that occurs, the Defendant
may only be remanded into custody, his bond revoked or the conditions of his release modified upon application of the prosecution or a bonding commissioner and then only after an opportunity to be heard.”

Until that hearing occurs, Hopkins ordered Morphew to “remain in his home at all times, no exceptions. If the Defendant has a medical emergency during that time, he can call 911 and be transported by ambulance.”

12th Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly filed a “Motion to Modify Bond,” stating the video shows: “Defendant Barry Morphew is clearly visible and identifiable as the person who perpetrated the hit and run.”

He should be considered a flight risk because Morphew is seen “operating his vehicle without insurance in a reckless and aggressive manner;” he struck two vehicles; refused to provide identification; he “leaves the scene, almost striking another individual and driving over a curb to do so,” according to the motion.

“In the past he has used aliases and, as noted by the Court, more than one vehicle,” according to the motion. “Here, it took a citizen with a recording device and a news channel to identify him and bring the matter before the Court. But for this citizen’s report, the Defendant would have successfully concealed his identity in conjunction with the criminal investigation.”

Kelly asked the judge for a “financial condition of bond be increased, given the flight risk demonstrated by his behavior.”

The Denver police confirmed that a caller reported a hit-and-run, non-injury crash Aug. 26 in the 4000 block of East 8th Place.

“The investigator is working to contact the registered owner of the involved pickup truck,” according to a spokesperson via email. “The Denver Police Department has an obligation to protect the integrity of this active and ongoing crash investigation; therefore, the Department will not be releasing any additional information, including a crash report, until the investigation has concluded.”

The six years since Suzanne Morphew went missing have been an emotional torture for her family.

Barry Morphew was arrested and charged with her murder twice.

The first prosecution case was dismissed on the eve of the trial in April 2022 due to lack of a body. Morphew was rearrested in June 2024, nine months after her remains were discovered near the small town of Moffat in Saguache County.

The judge ordered Morphew to “provide proof that the vehicle he was
driving at the time of the traffic incident is registered with the license plate that was attached and in his name.”

Prosecutors have alleged he has used the same Indiana license plates on different vehicles.

“He is alleged to have used on more than one vehicle and that the prosecution had complained of in its response to the Defendant’s motion to reduce bond,” according to the court order.

The company charged with monitoring Morphew, Recovery Monitoring Solutions LLC, was ordered to provide a report on any permissions he had to be away from home and information about the traffic crash. Monthly reports by the company “have previously shown no violations of conditions by the Defendant.”

Morphew’s defense attorney David Beller declined comment. Kelly did not respond to a request for comment.

Morphew is scheduled for a status hearing Sept. 17, and his trial — originally scheduled to begin next month — was moved to July 19 after prosecutors moved to enter alleged domestic violence abuse evidence.

Denver Gazette freelance writer Carol McKinley contributed to this story.