Autopsy Sheds Light on Suzanne Morphew’s Mysterious Death

Suzanne Morphew, the Colorado mom who went missing during a bike ride in 2020, was killed while under the influence of a powerful animal tranquilizer, a recently released autopsy found.

Morphew’s death was ruled “homicide by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication,” the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said in a release Monday. Butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine—also known as BAM—is an animal tranquilizer that can be used to sedate bears and deer, according to veterinary pharmaceuticals manufacturer NexGen and a study by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Division.

Authorities are still investigating the circumstances around Morphew’s death and disappearance. Her husband, Barry Morphew, was charged nearly a year later with her murder, which prosecutors alleged he’d done after he discovered she was having an affair. They claimed he’d shot her with a tranquilizer gun—which he’d admitted to using to sedate deer and remove their antlers—and tampered with evidence to cover up the crime.

Read more at The Daily Beast.