One of Suzanne Morphew’s friends claims that she had an odd interaction with the daughter of a missing mother months after it occurred. The incident continues to make her uneasy.
Tisha Lewaye is a Colorado beautician who first met Suzanne Morphew, 49, in 2019. It was just over one year later that the woman vanished from sight on Mother’s Day, 2020.
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Tisha helped organize and mobilize search parties after Suzanne disappeared. She did this in the huge wilderness that surrounded the Morphew’s family mansion, a $1.7million property in Maysville. This is where Suzanne was last seen.
Tisha also acted as a voice for Suzanne and her family, speaking to local and national media to generate more attention on the case, organizing vigils, and even fundraising for a memorial bench that bears the hashtag, “#shinebrightforSuzanne.”
Tisha hosted an “annual forget me not” for Suzanne, in nearby Poncha Springs. Every Christmas she displays in her honor a large tree decorated with 200 or more ornaments.
Tisha has said that for every search or event she organizes she invites Suzanne’s daughters Mallory, Macy, as well as Suzanne’s husband Barry Morphew to participate, but the trio has never turned up.
Tisha is confused and a bit dejected at the lack engagement by Suzanne’s family. Speaking to The U.S. Sun, on the anniversary since Suzanne went missing, she says that her only direct contact with the Morphews has been a “strange conversation” with Mallory Morphew, an older Morphew.
In October 2020, a girl wearing a mask entered the salon [where I was working at the time] Tisha recalled that she asked for a tanning session.
After the search for Suzanne we displayed all of our missing T-shirts and wristbands in the salon. This was because we did not want the case to become cold.
This girl came in one day and I wasn’t able to recognize her. [because of the mask] It was not something she noticed, however, when the picture of Suzanne appeared, her eyes grew a little teary and she said “That’s my mother.”
Tisha told the girl that she had asked her if the girl was Mallory. The girl then confirmed to Tisha, “I want to tan.”
Tisha took advantage of the situation and began telling Mallory the details about her various searches for information on her mom, as well as the fundraising events she organized.
We had not had contact with them and they had never attended anything. So I took the opportunity to tell her that we had done something for your mother. It’s not that we are trying to make your guys look bad. Instead, it’s because we just want her to not be forgotten and to not be lost in the town.
“And then she said, ‘OK.’ That was all.” “And that was odd to me. There was no thank you, appreciation or acknowledgement. That was all she said.”
It would make me more thankful if strangers helped my mom in this way.
I found it strange that she did not ask her more questions […] It was very strange.
It was really bizarre for me.
“DO THEY KNOW SOMETHING?”
Mallory Morphew was not reached by The U.S. Sun.
Tisha said that she feels a great deal of empathy for Mallory Morphew and Macy Morphew. She added: “I would never want to be their situation.”
Only twice have the girls spoken in public since their mother vanished, three years earlier. They appeared both times with their father who was attempting to prove his innocence.
Barry, 55 years old, was the first person to be publicly identified as the suspect of the presumed murder of Suzanne. Police believe she was killed sometime between May 9, 2020, and May 10, early in the morning.
He was arrested and charged with her murder in May 2021 but released a year later after prosecutors filed a successful motion to withdraw their case until they could locate Suzanne’s body.
Barry remains the primary suspect, according to prosecutors.
He appeared last week on Good Morning America, with Mallory Macy and Macy. In his appearance he stressed that investigators had “tunnelvision” and were focusing their attention on the wrong man.
They also said that their dad is innocent and described these last three months as “literally, our worst nightmare.”
“It’s really difficult, especially because of the lack of closure we have,” said Macy.
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Tisha stated that she could understand why the girls would stand behind their father. Tisha says it’s strange that they didn’t do more to advocate publicly for their mom, or help to find her.
Tisha stated that “you should not have to decide between the two parents, you should support them both.” You should stand by your father, but also show up more to support your mother.
Why would you not miss your mother, and wish to find her, if they didn’t attend the vigils, or help in searches? You wouldn’t even be alive if it weren’t for your mother.
What can you do to move forward in your life without knowing what happened to your mother? I don’t understand how you could move forward when your father is free, but your mother has gone missing.
“I believe that even if you had lost your parents, you’d want to know the truth.
The answer is “I’m not sure, I don’t have any details because I didn’t speak to them.”
People grieve in different ways, but I’m sure that if I were you, I’d do everything I could to preserve the memory of my mother.
A VERY NICE WOMANA
Tisha and Suzanne became friends in the beginning of 2019 after the former teacher came to the salon with her daughters.
Last time Suzanne saw her was January 2020. Suzanne and the girls were there for spray tanning in preparation for their family trip to Mexico.
Tisha says that she doesn’t remember much about her last encounter, but today, Suzanne is remembered as a friendly, quiet person.
It was different if she had come in with Mallory. She would have stood back, letting Mallory talk or take the lead.
She always looked well put together, and she carried herself well.
She was a nice lady.”
Mallory Morphew and Macy Morphew had been on a camping trip organized by their church when the first report of her disappearance was made.
The two girls were the first to notice that their mother was not responding to them after sending her a text to wish her Happy Mother’s Day in the morning on May 10, 2020.
Barry Morphew, who was away from town at the time, was contacted when his daughters told him they were unable to reach their mother.
Barry called a neighbour to see if Suzanne was home. When the neighbor realized that Suzanne wasn’t home, he alerted police.
At first, it appeared as though Suzanne left home for a bike ride earlier that morning but had not come home.
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Later, her bike was discovered down an embankment that sloped steeply near the house in what police believe to have been a staged scene.
Police believe that she was killed between midday on May 9 to early morning May 10 but have not recovered any other physical evidence.
It later emerged that in the months preceding her disappearance, Suzanne was having an affair with an old high school boyfriend, Jeff Libler.
Her messages on her phone showed that she planned to leave Barry. She had also confided often in friends of his allegedly abusive and controlling behaviour.
Barry, who has denied all abuse allegations for years, maintains he and Suzanne had a loving marriage. Barry claims that he did not know about her affair for several months following her disappearance.
However, in one message to a friend, Suzanne likened Barry to “Jekyll and Hyde,” court records show.
In another message addressed to Barry on May 6, she wrote: “I’m done, I could care less what you’re up to have been for years. We just need to figure this out civilly.”
The theory shared by prosecutors at the time of his arrest was that Barry had discovered Suzanne’s affair with Libler, murdered her in a rage sometime between May 9 and May 10, and disposed of her remains before driving to Broomfield.
Barry was interrogated by the police for several months before being arrested in May of 2021 and facing murder charges.
A judge dropped the charges at the behest of the prosecution.
‘HE’S GUILTY’
Barry then filed a $15 million lawsuit earlier this month against local police and prosecutors accusing them to have violated his civil rights relating to his arrest in 2021.
The complaint alleges that investigators lied and withheld and manufactured information to suit a hastily-drawn theory that Morphew murdered Suzanne in a fit of rage over the affair she was having with Libler.
This lawsuit alleges, as well, that these officials conspired “to deprive” Morphew’s constitutional rights. They then attempted to “cover up the reckless and knowing misconduct in order to shield one another from any liability for depriving Barry Morphew’s constitutional rights.”
According to the lawsuit, “As a consequence of the defendants’ actions, Barry was arrested, charged and prosecuted for a criminal offense he had not committed, his property being seized.”
“As [a] Barry was sentenced to five months of jail time, six months with a GPS monitor that severely restricted his movements, and an almost year to defend against criminal charges. Barry’s belongings remain in the CCSD possession to this day.”
Jane Byrialsen stated in a written statement: “Barry Morphew suffered grave harm and both he and his daughter have lost their constitutional rights. We will not accept such abuses.”
Barry, despite his lawsuit in the case, remains the prime suspect.
Leewaye said that she has no doubts in her mind about Barry’s guilt.
What else could have happened? Then what is the alternative explanation? She claimed that she did not just disappear.
They will, I think. [find her body eventually].
The answer to this question is “I think that something will eventually come out.”
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