Suzanne Morphew, 49, disappeared on Mother’s Day in 2020 after a bike ride in the Salida area of southern Colorado. 

Suzanne’s husband, Barry Morphew, 53, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder of his wife in 2021, but the charges were dropped in April, 2022. 

This week, the same Colorado man, Barry Morphew, pleaded guilty to using his wife’s 2020 election ballot to vote for former President Donald Trump. He was fined and has to pay court costs, but he was not given any jail time. He was given a sentence of one year of supervised probation but avoided jail time after pleading guilty to one count of forgery, a felony, according to court records.

Suzanne’s body was never found. Charges were dropped against her husband because DNA evidence suggested another suspect in a crime that may have been a sexual assault. The police said they needed more time to find a body.

Evidence was presented that showed DNA from an unidentified male who was linked to sexual assault cases in other states. The DNA was found in Suzanne’s vehicle. 

Police said Barry used his missing wife’s ballot because he wanted to help Trump. 

“Just because I wanted Trump to win. I just thought, give him another vote. I figured all these other guys are cheating,” he told an FBI agent in April 2021, according to court documents.

Morphew said he didn’t know it was illegal. 

Investigators in the missing woman’s case discovered conversations between her and an alleged boyfriend, captured on a “spy pen.” That and the DNA found in the car led the police away from the husband.