BREAKING NEWS Colorado husband Barry Morphew charged with wife's murder five years after she vanished

A Colorado man has been indicted with his wife's murder five years after she disappeared - and four years after he was previously charged with the crime.
Suzanne Morphew, 43, was reported missing on May 10, 2020 after she went for a bike ride but never returned to her stunning mansion in rural Maysville, roughly 150 miles from Denver.
Her remains were found more than three years later.
Her husband Barry Morphew, 56, has indicted with first-degree murder and was taken into custody in Arizona on Friday.
A press briefing is due to take place at 6pm MT (8PM) ET Friday.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

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Times

an hour ago

• Times

Sex addict Anthony Weiner on jail, Trump and Hillary Clinton

As nominative determinism might suggest, Anthony Weiner was perhaps always doomed. A prominent New York congressman and rapidly rising star in the Democratic Party, married to Hillary Clinton's glamorous adviser, Huma Abedin, it all came crashing down — in spectacularly lurid style — in May 2011, when Weiner accidentally posted a sexually explicit photo of his bulging crotch to Twitter. The headlines wrote themselves, with the New York Post gleefully declaring, 'Weiner exposed'. First, though, he denied it, claiming his account had been hacked (the New York Post — 'Weiner: I'll stick it out'), before admitting to having sent similar pictures to numerous women ('Naked truth'), and finally resigning ('Weiner's rise and fall'). Six months later, Abedin gave birth to their son, Jordan. Undeterred, Weiner attempted a return to politics in 2013 in the bold hope of becoming mayor of New York ('Weiner's second coming'), before more reports of sexting emerged — this time under the alias Carlos Danger — and he crashed out in the primary. Through this all, Abedin stood by him. But in 2016 it emerged that he had posted a sexually explicit photo with Jordan, then four, sleeping next to him. And, a few weeks later, that one of those he had sexted was a 15-year-old girl. An FBI probe was launched the following year and he was sentenced to 21 months for transferring obscene material to a minor (he served a little over 15 months in prison). Abedin filed for divorce ('Huma cuts off Weiner') and would later say that Weiner 'didn't just break my heart, he ripped it out and stomped on it over and over again'. In the decade since, Weiner faded from view, before reappearing as an in-house liberal at WABC, a conservative talk radio station. He continued therapy for what he says is a sex addiction. Now, 14 years after first derailing his own promising career, the indefatigable Weiner is staging (another) comeback, running for a seat on New York City Council. Sarah Batchu, one of his opponents, told The New York Times that Trump's victory has allowed other scandal-prone politicians to believe they too could return. ('Trump got elected as a 34-time felon,' Weiner himself said last month.) 'Everyone deserves a second chance, but this guy has had third, fourth and fifth chances,' Batchu said. And, just days before his former wife Abedin marries Alexander Soros, the son of billionaire George Soros and heir to his fortune, 60-year-old Weiner is walking the streets of the East Village in Manhattan, dog and journalist in tow, in his bid for elected office once again. Tabloid-friendly surname aside, this was not supposed to be Weiner's trajectory. At the age of 27, the Brooklyn native became the youngest councillor in New York City's history; then, as an acclaimed, gifted congressman representing New York and known for his straight-talking, sometimes brash modus operandi, a rising star in the Democratic Party and an eligible bachelor in DC circles. In 2007, he began dating Huma Abedin, the glamorous longtime aide to Hillary Clinton. In her 2021 memoir, Both/And, Abedin wrote that after their first kiss her 'head started spinning and didn't stop'. At 32, it was her first serious relationship. They married in 2010, in a ceremony officiated by Bill Clinton, and became a bona fide Washington power couple. • NYC mayor election: Everything you need to know As if his infidelities — from less than a year into their marriage — weren't painful enough, they came with possibly catastrophic professional and political consequences too. Little over a week before the 2016 election, the FBI said it had messages between Abedin and Hillary Clinton, her boss, which they found on Weiner's seized laptop. It was his laptop, in other words, that prompted them to reopen the investigation into Clinton's private email use. Clinton herself credits the probe as a decisive factor in her loss. 'If the election was on October 27,' she said of the day prior to the announcement by James Comey, then the FBI director, that the probe would be reopened, 'I would be your president.' Weiner tells me he thinks 'things are much more complicated' but that it's 'not nothing'. Our dog walk is in the area of the city where Weiner is running for a council seat — a pocket he's never before represented. 'I mean, look, it was a very close race, and she lost by a small number of votes, and so you can point to anything and say that was the difference,' he says in his defence. He never made a 'direct amendment' to Clinton. 'I think I wrote her a letter saying I'd like an opportunity [to apologise] at some point. I don't think we ever spoke about it.' In fact, Weiner is never excessively contrite about any of the scandals I raise as we walk the neighbourhood. He is open, for example, about his belief that he was severely punished and has done his time. 'It was a slow news week and my name is Weiner,' he says at one point. At another: 'I knew that prison was ridiculous. For obscenity, it was pretty ridiculous. I mean, everyone did what they were supposed to. Look, the higher the monkey climbs, the more you can see his ass.' This is how Weiner talks — profane, direct, often curt. But he is not guileless. I ask about his treatment for sex addiction. This is a contested term. Sex addiction is not listed as a formal diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, while the World Health Organisation recognises compulsive sexual behaviour disorder as a impulse-control disorder, not an addiction. It's perhaps an 'academic conversation', Weiner says. He attends groups once a week and attendance, he says, is growing — 'Rooms are fuller and fuller, more and more people, more and more meetings.' Weiner has drawn connections between his past career and his sexual behaviour. 'You become obsessive about people's affirmation,' he says when I press him. So the obvious question is, isn't there now a high risk of relapse if he returns to politics? 'I don't think this is an example of an alcoholic who wants to be a bartender,' he says. But he does admit the link. 'I would argue that a lot of people in public life are really jazzed up by the affirmation. They get it. I just have to be mindful of it. But it's a reasonable question.' Nonetheless, one might suggest that running for public office would be the very last thing you would do if you were him, so… why? 'The candidates were running this kind of frictionless campaign,' he says of his opponents, 'trying not to offend any of the traditional Democratic constituencies.' But in the end, Weiner thought, 'The only reason not to run is that people would say something mean about me, or would bring up my past, and I didn't think that was a good enough reason.' He raised the idea of running again with Huma and Jordan, now 13, over dinner one night. They were supportive. 'Her take was, look, this is what you're good at.' He reckons the issues associated with running in this new part of the city — and as 'more of a centrist candidate in a very progressive district' — are arguably bigger challenges than the scandals. I ask about Abedin and her imminent wedding to Soros. It is the only few seconds of the interview that I get the sense he weighs his words with much care. 'I don't know what's public and I am not going to comment on it.' He does confirm, when I mention it's due to take place the following weekend, that he isn't going. 'That's the day that polls open here… Yeah, I will not be going. I wish them all the best and she seems very happy and Jordan likes them [all]. So it's all great.' His former wife has moved on — is he dating too? 'That's a big word.' At this point his dog, Billy, finds herself in a harmless brawl in the dog park. This is a welcome distraction — 'She's just being the neighbourhood school mom' — but Weiner returns to our earlier topic and says that, yes, he does go out on dates. I ask if he uses the apps. He doesn't, he says, but he's clearly amused. 'That's kind of a funny idea.' He admits the task of persuading people to trust him is harder than for most. 'Yes, I just had this conversation with someone recently.' With someone he's dating? 'Dating is… It's a lame word…' He trails off before talking about the dog instead. 'You see, she wants to play. She just doesn't quite know how to do it.' At this point Billy begins humping another dog. I suggest this might be too on the nose to include in the interview. 'A little bit,' he concedes. 'You can kind of see the lead for your piece taking shape right now in front of us. I'll write your lead for you: 'You can tell Anthony Weiner's dog has been around him for a while.' ' We wrap up the subject of dating. 'Put it this way: it's fraught. But I don't date much.' Does he stand any chance of winning, though? Weiner thinks his opponents in the upcoming council election are tame. 'In today's world, you've got these other people that I'm running against [who] cut their teeth in a very different time, where it's: how do you get this? How do you not offend this group?' He talks about homelessness. 'You have homeless people who are mentally unwell living on our streets. It's a problem. Everyone recognises [it], every candidate recognises it… This group of politicians that I am up against, they look at the situation and say, all right, who's on this side of the problem? Who's on this side? 'And there are people like the American Civil Liberties Union, who said that a homeless person has a right to be on that street right now in our public space. But most people in this part [of the city], most people who vote, they look at that and say, 'How do we solve that problem?' ' His putative return to politics is not without backlash. Sarah Batchu proposed a bill in February nicknamed the Weiner Act that would ban registered sex offenders — of which Weiner is one — from holding public office. His top opponent is Harvey Epstein, a previously unknown candidate who went viral when Saturday Night Live did a sketch about his name: neither Harvey Weinstein nor Jeffrey Epstein. We leave the dog park and a man walks towards us holding a camera. 'You've got some nerve running for office after sending that dick!' Weiner is unfazed. 'Say, one of these Trump motherf***ers!' Most of what is shouted over the next three minutes is even more unprintable than that. 'You kiss your mom with that mouth?' Weiner asks him, repeatedly shouting, 'Trump motherf***er, go home!' and, 'Another Trump motherf***er!' to those in the park who are, by this point, beginning to turn their heads. The man repeats the usual charges. 'Your fault that Trump got elected in the first place, motherf***er!' he rages. 'They used your sex crime to sink Hillary!' The episode feels reminiscent of the 2016 fly-on-the-wall documentary, Weiner, which introduced me and countless others to Weiner's brusque style while his mayoral campaign (and then marriage too) combusted in real time, its whole extraordinary disintegration captured on camera. This time, a number of young men rally to him. 'Mr Weiner,' one says. 'Don't even talk to him. He's worthless.' These aren't the only men we bump into on our walk who are supportive of Weiner — and they are largely men. But it's difficult to tell if he stands a chance in the council election. 'It's too small a district to really poll,' he says. But he knows his pitch well. 'I just think that my gift is the absence of really giving a shit about whether I might offend someone… And it sounds to people like, oh, I'm doing something different. 'No, what I'm really doing is just practising the only form of politics I know how to do now. Is it going to fit well with this moment? Does it fit well with this electorate? Does it fit well with my scandal? Who the f*** knows. But I don't know any other way to do it. I don't know any other way to do it.'

The Sun

an hour ago

• The Sun

Murderer caught after cops follow trail of blood from victim, 47, who was stabbed in TV remote row as son pays tribute

A MURDERER was caught after cops followed a trail of blood from the victim after he was stabbed in a TV remote row. James Murray, 47, died in Wythenshawe, Manchester, after being fatally knifed by his flatmate Scott Thomson, 57. 2 2 The pair of pals had moved in together after initially meeting at a hostel. But as the months went by the "co-dependent" relationship soured as Thomson became increasingly suspicious of his flatmate. Tensions surrounding a new TV bought for the flat began to flare, with Thomson claiming that Murray was hogging the remote. On December 4 last year, an argument over the TV remote escalated, with tragic consequences. Thomson grabbed a 19cm blade and lashed out at his flatmate with the large knife causing fatal damage. The weapon caused an 8cm wound, penetrating through Murray's ribcage and going "straight into his heart". He manage to stagger outside bleeding but Murray then collapsed and died in the street despite the efforts of paramedics to save him. A trail of blood led officers to Thomson's flat, where further evidence of the violent altercation was discovered. Thomson fled the scene but was arrested the next day after approaching cops and admitting his involvement. Thomson was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 18 years for killing Murray in a hearing at Manchester Crown Court yesterday. In a powerful victim impact statement read out in court, James' son said: 'I would like to pass on thanks to my family liaison officer for all the help and support they have provided to me and my family throughout this process. "There is no way to fully express the depth of pain and loss that my father's murder has caused. 'My dad, James, was funny, laid back, and incredibly personable. He had a gift for making people laugh, often by winding us up in a way that only he could. "That was his way—he brought joy and light into every room he entered. He may not have been an angel, he may not have lived the best life, but he was my dad. 'Since the day he was taken from us, my life has changed completely. I am constantly reminded of what has happened. I consistently feel the pain of his murder, there is not a day that goes by that I don't feel the weight of his absence. "I struggle to sleep. I struggle to have a 'normal' day. Even the simplest things have become difficult without him here. 'What hurts the most is knowing that due to Scott Thompson taking my dad's life, I no longer have the opportunity to create new memories with my dad or share my life with him. No milestones, no quiet chats, no laughter, no future together. "The loss of his life is greater than just the loss of a person—it's the loss of time, connection, and a relationship that can never be replaced. 'No sentence can bring him back, but I hope justice can reflect the seriousness of the pain inflicted on our family, and the irreplaceable life that was taken from us. 'The way in which James was taken from the world is a constant memory, a constant image for which I will never be able to unsee and this being solely due to Scott Thomson's actions on December 4 2024. 'I want Scott Thomson to know his actions will never be forgotten or forgiven.' If he is ever released from prison Thomson will be subject to licence for the rest of his life. Senior Investigating Officer Duncan Thorpe said: 'Firstly, our thoughts remain with James' family and friends at this time. 'This was a tragic and totally avoidable incident that highlights the devastating impact knife crime can have. There is no doubt that this issue could have been resolved without weapons. 'Today's sentencing should be a strong deterrent for those carrying and using a knife.'

Daily Mail​

2 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

JD Vance travels to Los Angeles to scold Gavin Newsom for 'egging on' violent riots

Vice President JD Vance traveled to Los Angeles on Friday, setting up a showdown with Gov. Gavin Newsom as he visited deployed Marines in the city. The vice president traveled to a multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center and a Federal Mobile Command Center to visit with federal law officials and thank them for their efforts to protect the city. He defended the president's decision to send in federal troops to help local law enforcement combat rioters in the city. He described the series of events surrounding the riots a 'tragedy' and said that the rioters were 'egged on' by Newsom and the Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. 'That is disgraceful,' he said, adding, 'We've got to enforce our borders and get so many of these criminals out of our country to begin with.' He said that Trump acted because Newsom refused to take the riots seriously. 'If you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we're not going to send in the national guard because it's unnecessary,' he said. 'But if you let violent rioters burn great American cities to the ground, then of course we're going to send in federal law enforcement to protect the people the president was elected to protect.' Vance said he was grateful to federal law enforcement officials citing the 'good news' that the rioting had slowed down, but said it was still necessary to keep them on duty in case the riots flared back up. The vice president criticized both Bass and Newsom for encouraging a 'crisis' by extending government benefits to illegal immigrants and straining the local public services. He also criticized both leaders for inciting violent riots in response to the president's deportation orders and endangering local law enforcement officials. 'I think it's disgraceful that we've ever gotten to this point,' Vance added. The vice president also ridiculed Sen. Jose Padilla for causing a scene at a press conference with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last, leading her bodyguards to wrestle him to the ground and handcuff him. 'Well I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question but unfortunately I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theater,' he said when asked to respond to the incident. 'I think we ought to laugh them out of the building, we ought to call them out for doing what they are doing which is grandstanding.' President Donald Trump deployed 700 U.S. Marines to the city after protesters rioted in response to increased ICE raids and deportations of illegal immigrants. Vance's visit takes place after Newsom, who is considering a 2028 Ron for president, loudly protested the deployment of military forces to help quell the riots. Newsom warned that 'democracy was under assault,' because the president ignored his plea to deescalate the riots and protests. He described the deployment of federal troops and Marines unnecessary and illegal, filing a lawsuit to contest the president's deployment. Vance's trip takes place just after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled Thursday in favor of the president's authority to deploy military forces. 'The undisputed facts demonstrate that before the deployment of the National Guard, protesters 'pinned down' several federal officers and threw 'concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects' at the officers,' the court's decision read. 'Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building. And a federal van was attacked by protesters who smashed in the van's windows. The federal government's interest in preventing incidents like these is significant.' The Marines were tasked with protecting federal buildings. Last week they detained a man for walking onto the property of a Los Angeles federal building but he was released without charges.