Barry Morphew Update (Sept. 2026): Bond Raised to $10 Million as Judge Orders Him Home
Suzanne Morphew went out for a bike ride near her home in the Colorado mountains on Mother's Day 2020 and never came back. Six years later, the case against her husband has not reached a jury, and this week it moved for a reason that has nothing to do with the murder charge itself.
On Tuesday, a judge in Alamosa County raised Barry Morphew's bond from $3 million to $10 million, cash only, and told him he would be confined to his own house if he ever manages to post it. The reason was a hit-and-run crash in Denver and the GPS unit strapped to his ankle.
What did the judge actually decide on Sept. 8?
District Judge Amanda Hopkins granted the prosecution's request and set bond at $10 million, cash only. She was blunt about why.
Morphew, she said, "has shown time and again that he has no respect for any order of this court," and had demonstrated a capacity to commit new offenses while free.
The conditions attached are close to house arrest. If the bond is posted, he wears GPS monitoring, cannot leave the San Luis Valley, and may leave his home only for court, his attorneys, or a medical emergency.
Why was his bond raised in the first place?
Prosecutors say the ankle monitor told on him. His release terms allowed travel for work, medical appointments, legal meetings and court — nothing else.
The GPS log for Aug. 23 through Aug. 29 showed, in the prosecution's reading, very little work of any kind. It did show a drive to Denver International Airport, plus stops at trailheads, a steakhouse and a Whole Foods.
His attorney's answer to the airport trip: he was picking up his daughter. The district attorney's position is that any reason other than work breaks the deal.
Sitting underneath all of it is an alleged hit-and-run in Denver on Aug. 26, partly caught on video. That crash is what sent investigators to the GPS data in the first place.
How did he end up back in custody?
Quickly, and at an odd hour. The district attorney filed the motion to modify bond on Sept. 3. Boulder County sheriff's deputies arrested him around 12:24 a.m. on Sept. 4 on an Alamosa County warrant for failure to comply.
Bond was set at $3 million at that point. Court TV reported that Judge Hopkins said Morphew had laughed about that $3 million figure in recorded jail calls — a detail that did not help him five days later.
What is he charged with, and has this case been dropped before?
Yes, once. That is the strange spine of this case.
Suzanne Morphew, 49, was reported missing on May 10, 2020. Barry was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in May 2021, but prosecutors dropped the case in April 2022 before it reached trial.
Her remains were found in September 2023 in Saguache County. In 2024 her death was ruled a homicide, with a cocktail of animal tranquilizers cited by investigators.
A grand jury re-indicted Morphew in June 2025 and he was arrested in Arizona that same month, then extradited. He entered a not-guilty plea in an Alamosa County courtroom in January 2026 and remains presumed innocent.
When does the trial start?
Not soon. Judge Hopkins has the jury trial blocked out from July 19 to Aug. 27, 2027, after the defense asked for more time to work through what it called a mountain of discovery.
She allowed the continuance but said she would be hard-pressed to grant another. Count it out and the trial begins more than seven years after Suzanne was reported missing.
Which true-crime shows have covered the Morphew case?
Dateline got there first. Keith Morrison reported "Echoes in the Canyon," which aired Feb. 25, 2022 — weeks before the original charges collapsed. CBS's 48 Hours has also devoted an episode to Suzanne's disappearance.
Neither show has aired a new hour since the 2025 re-indictment, which is worth watching for as the 2027 trial gets closer. Our weekly schedule of what's airing tracks new episodes as the networks announce them.
👉 A bond hearing is not a trial. Nothing decided this week touched the question of whether Barry Morphew killed his wife.
Frequently asked questions
Is Barry Morphew in jail right now? He is in custody unless he posts the $10 million cash-only bond set on Sept. 8, 2026.
Was he convicted of killing Suzanne Morphew? No. He is charged with first-degree murder and has pleaded not guilty.
Where is the trial being held? Alamosa County, in Colorado's 12th Judicial District, with Judge Amanda Hopkins presiding.
More case files
Other long-running cases we are following: the Delphi appeal argued this month in Indianapolis, the Murdaugh retrial that just changed counties, the Kohberger petition to undo his guilty plea, and the Vallow Daybell appeal set for argument in November. Our case updates page collects them all, and the viewing guide covers times and streaming for all three shows.
Sources
- ABC News — Barry Morphew's bond increased to $10 million (Sept. 8, 2026)
- CBS Colorado — Judge orders bond increased to $10 million
- KRDO — Bond rises to $10 million cash-only
- The Colorado Sun — Judge hikes Morphew's bond
- The Mountain Mail — Trial set for July 2027
- 9NEWS — Dateline NBC on the Suzanne Morphew disappearance
- Jared Bridegan Update (Sept. 2026): Judge Won't Step Aside, Gardner Trial Set for May 2027
- Blaise Taylor Update (Sept. 2026): Two Back-to-Back Life Sentences for Ex-NFL Scout
- Morgan Geyser Update (Sept. 2026): Three Doctors Ordered, and a Nov. 9 Date on Her Release
- Rex Heuermann Update: Where the Gilgo Beach Killer Is Now After His Life Sentence