Barry Morphew Can Travel To See Daughters While Awaiting Trial For Killing Their Mom

After an emotional plea in court from the accused's daughter, Colorado judge ruled that Barry Morphew would be allowed to visit his adult children while awaiting trial for killing their mother.

“It would be such a blessing for our dad to be able to be with us,” Mallory Morphew told a judge in court Tuesday, according to local station KDVR.

Barry Morphew — who is facing murder charges in the death of his wife Suzanne — is out on bond while awaiting trial but was previously restricted to Chaffee County.

Under the revised conditions granted by Judge Ramsey Lama on Tuesday, Morphew will now be allowed to travel to nearby Gunnison County, where both of his daughters currently live.

Lama did place restrictions on his movements, however: The accused is only allowed to travel to Gunnison during daylight hours, and his movements will continue to be tracked by a GPS monitoring system as part of the conditions of his bond.

Mallory Morphew told Lama that, because of the women's “work schedule[s]” and the dificulty of “driving over the pass in the winter,” they've had a difficult time making it to Chaffee County to visit their father, who they’ve supportrf since his arrest last May.

“It would really be amazing for us," she said of her desire to expand the restrictions. “We are a family and we need each other.”

Suzanne Morphew’s other family members had opposed the modification in a letter to the judge.

When Lama announced his decision to alter the restrictions, Barry Morphew exclaimed “Thank you!” as his daughters shed tears.

Both daughters, Mallory and Macy, are regular fixtures at court hearings for their dad and have been seen mouthing “I love you” to him at past hearings, according to the local station.

Suzanne Morphew disappeared over Mother’s Day weekend in May 2020. The first day of the search, sheriff’s deputies found her mountain bike on the side of a cliff, CBS News reports. Her helmet was found about a mile away.

But investigators believed the scene had been staged and soon turned their attention to her husband. They believe he killed his wife — whose body has never been found — after discovering she had been carrying on a long-term affair with an old high school classmate. They think he tried to cover-up the crime before heading out of town for a work trip, according to The Denver Post.

Barry Morphew has continued to maintain his innocence throughout the legal process.

The judge also determined during the two-day hearing that Chaffee County District Attorney Linda Stanley had violated a pre-trial publicity order put in place by an earlier judge by talking with the media about the case, though no sanctions were announced for the violations, KDVR reported.

On Monday, attorneys also discussed former Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent Joseph Cahill. Cahill had provided testimony in an earlier hearing but resigned last month amid an internal affairs investigation.

According to a “Brady letter” obtained by The Denver Post, Cahill resigned after his personal gun had an “accidental discharge” in his home while he was off duty.

It’s not clear what impact, if any, Cahill's resignation or the investigation could have on the Morphew case.