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Breaking: Man Pleads Not Guilty to Wife’s Tranquilizer Death | Crime House 24/7
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Hi, Crime House community, it's Vanessa Richardson. Exciting news. Conspiracy theories, cults and crimes is leveling up. Starting the week of January 12th, you'll be getting two episodes every week. Wednesdays we unravel the conspiracy or the cult, and on Fridays, we look at a corresponding crime. Every week has a theme. Tech, bioterror, power, paranoia, you name it. Follow conspiracy theories, cults and crimes now on your podcast app because you're about to dive deeper, get weirder, and go darker than ever before. This is Crime House. Good morning everyone. We have multiple breaking true crime cases this morning that you need to know about. And we're starting with the biggest one in Colorado. Authorities say a man killed his wife with a tranquilizer and left her remains in a remote field. Now he's pleaded not guilty to her murder for the second time. This is Crime House 24 7, your non stop source for the biggest crime cases developing right now. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Vanessa Richardson and we have quite a lineup for you today. Here. Here's what you need to know.
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Hey, Sal. Hank.
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What's going on?
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We haven't worked a case in years. I just bought my car at Carvana and it was so easy. Too easy. Think something's up? You tell me. They got thousands of options, found a great car at a great price, and it got delivered the next day. It sounds like Carvana just makes it easy to buy your car, Hank. Yeah, you're right. Case closed.
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Let's jump right in with the news you need to know right now. This morning, we're getting word about a long awaited plea from Barry Morphew, the Colorado man accused of killing his wife and the mother of his two kids with a tranquilizer back in 2020. Just this week, on Monday, January 12, Barry Morphew appeared in an Alamosa county courtroom to enter. His ple. Was formally indicted on June 18, 2025. This isn't Morphew's first time entering a plea regarding his wife Suzanne's death. In fact, this is the second time and once again he's entered a not guilty plea, which has set the stage for a new trial. Following Monday's hearing, the judge overseeing his case sent a tentative trial date for October 13, 2026, which is roughly nine months from now. At the request of the defense, Morphew waived his right to a speedy trial and currently he remains out custody on bond in Arizona under court ordered monitoring conditions. Suzanne Morphew was 49 years old when she vanished on Sunday, May 10, 2020. She lived with her husband Morphew in Salida, Colorado, and that morning she went on a bike ride. Her daughters, who were on a camping trip, texted Suzanne to wish her a happy Mother's Day, but Suzanne didn't respond. When they told Morphew, he allegedly asked one of his neighbors to go check on her, specifically asking them to look for Suzanne's mountain bike. The neighbor didn't find it. Morphew asked them to call the police. Her bicycle and helmet were found hours later down an embankment near a rural roadway. There was no blood at the scene or evidence of a scuffle in the dirt, and despite extensive ground and air searches, Suzanne was never found. Investigators quickly focused on Barry Morphew. They discovered that he and Suzanne had a rocky relationship, so they investigated his account of the morning Suzanne went missing. He told law enforcement that his wife was asleep when he left the house around 5am Then, he said, he briefly went hunting before driving more than 150 miles east to a job site in Broomfield, Colorado, according to detectives. That timeline became a central issue in the case. Charging documents and investigative records later cited by prosecutors state that Morphew's truck telemetry and cell phone data showed multiple unexplained movements and stops during the early morning hours of May10. So in May 2021, Barry Morphew was arrested and charged with first degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and attempting to influence a public servant. He pleaded not guilty and was held in jail for several months. However, in April 2022, just days before trial was set to begin, prosecutors moved to dismiss the case without prejudice. The judge granted that request, citing discovery issues and the main issue in the case Suzanne hadn't been. The dismissal allowed for charges to be refiled if new evidence emerged. That evidence finally surfaced in September 2023, three years after Suzanne had gone missing. Human remains were discovered in a remote area of Saguache county, approximately 45 miles south of the Morphew home, later confirmed to belong to Suzanne Morphew. An autopsy ruled her death a homicide, though the cause of death was listed as undetermined due to decomposition. Forensic testing later Det detected traces of a chemical mixture known as BAM in Suzanne's bones. BAM is a combination of butorphanol, azaperone, and metatomidine, drugs used to tranquilize wildlife. Investigators allege that Barry Morphew had access to those chemicals because during the investigation, he acknowledged that he had used a dart gun and tranquilizers to hunt deer. They also alleged that he had a motive. Suzanne had a spy pen in her husband's closet, which she used to record Morphew's conversations. She allegedly hoped to catch him in an affair. Instead, she recorded conversations that she had with her own secret lover. Suzanne had been messaging her lover right up until the moment authorities believe Morphew killed her. From those findings, a Colorado grand jury returned a new indictment on June 18, 2025, charging Barry Morphew again with first degree murder. He was arrested in Arizon, where he'd been living, and was extradited back to Colorado. Suzanne Morphew's family and Morphew's two adult daughters have attended recent court proceedings and they continue to stand by their father as of right now. The case has moved into pretrial litigation ahead of its October 13, 2026 trial date. Additional hearings are expected in the coming months as attorneys address motions and evidence as that case moves toward trial in Colorado. Investigators in Tennessee are facing a very different kind of criminal investigation, one involving suspects accused of impersonating police officers and kidnapping a driver. As we speak, authorities in Tennessee are searching for suspects wanted in an attempted carjack and kidnapping. Investigators are calling it a targeted attack killing carried out by individuals impersonating police officers. According to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, the victim was abducted and later released unharmed. As of Monday, investigators confirmed the man is safe and the focus has shifted to identifying and locating the suspects involved. The incident began late Friday night, Jan. 10, 2026, in southeast Shelby County. Investigators say the victim was driving when a vehicle pulled behind him displaying flashing blue lights consistent with police equipment. Believing he was being stopped by law enforcement, the man pulled over. Authorities say multiple suspects then approached his vehicle armed with guns and forced him out of the car. They believe three people were involved in the scheme, although they haven't confirmed this yet. According to statements released by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office and reporting from local Memphis media, two of the suspects took control of the victim's vehicle and forced themselves into his car. Law enforcement officials say the suspects drove the victim back to his house. When they got into his home, the victim's alarm system went off, which caused the assailants to get back into the victim's car and drive away. Later, the victim was able to escape from his kidnappers and called 911 from a local storefront. A high speed pursuit followed, but police eventually lost the suspects. The victim described the suspect's initial car as a dark colored sedan equipped with flashing blue emergency lights. Authorities say the use of police style lighting played a key role in the crime, allowing the suspects to gain compliance before the victim realized he was not dealing with legitimate officers. In a statement posted on social media, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office emphasized that its deputies do not conduct traffic stops in unmarked vehicles without clear identification and urged drivers to call 911 if they're unsure whether a stop is legitimate. Officials also advised motorists to slow down, turn on hazard lights and seek a well lit populated area if they believe a stop may be suspicious. The case has drawn heightened concern because of similar incidents reported in the Memphis area in recent months. Authorities have investigated multiple violent crimes involving suspects who allegedly use fake police lights to carry out carjackings. In at least one separate case, suspects were wanted after an armed carjacking at a car wash led to a police chase on Interstate 240, according to Memphis police reporting. Investigators have not confirmed whether that case is directly connected to this kidnapping. As the search continues, law enforcement agencies are telling the public to remain alert. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from nearby businesses and traffic cameras and asking anyone who may have seen a vehicle using emergency lights in the area that night to come forward. Officials have also stressed that impersonating a law enforcement officer is a serious felony offense and that using that deception to commit violent crimes significantly increases potential charges. Authorities have not announced any arrests in this case and the victim's identity has not been released to protect his safety. They add that they believe the suspects targeted the victim, but the investigation remains active. While Tennessee investigators continue their search, officials in the Midwest are giving a new update on the man accused of killing an Ohio couple.
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We now come to you with a major update in the murders of Spencer Tepe and his wife Monique Tepe in Ohio. We've been covering this case closely and we're learning more about the man accused of orchestrating the Ohio double homicide. In an Illinois courtroom on Monday, January 12, 2026, the 39 year old suspect, Michael David McKee, waived his right to extradition. Waving extradition means that McKee has agreed to be transferred back to Ohio from Illinois where he was arrested. It doesn't represent an admission of guilt, but it does allow the case to move forward more quickly in the state where the charges were filed. In the same hearing, McKee's attorney added that his client intends to plead not guilty. This is a key procedural update in the case because it indicates that as of right now, McKee has not accepted a plea deal and is planning to assert his innocence. We're continuing to learn more about McKee and his relationship to the Tepes, but here's what we know so far. McKee had been married to Monique Tepe in 2015, but the two divorced in 2017. New reporting has found that McKee and Monique were, quote, incompatible, which led to the divorce and they had no children together. Reporting from USA TODAY has also uncovered more about McKee's background. A vascular surgeon, he allegedly graduated from Ohio State University and got his medical license when he was 28 years old. The next year, he married monique at age 29. As of Tuesday, January 13, McKee's employer at the time of the killings, OSF St. Anthony Medical center in Rockford, Illinois, told People magazine that they're cooperating with the authorities. This development comes after a 10 day manhunt for McKee came to a head on January 10, 2026. Police say surveillance footage from the crime scene led them to focus on McKee, tracing him based on his clothing as a refresher. The deaths of Spencer and Monique tepe occurred on December 30, 2025 in the early morning hours between 2:00am and 5:00am Co workers raised concerns that Spencer failed to appear at his dental practice that morning, so a friend went to the home they contacted 911 after hearing the couple's two young children crying inside. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene from apparent gunshot wounds, but their children were physically unharmed. McKee is due back in court next Monday, January 19th. As we continue to watch this case unfold, let's head across the country to Utah where another family is being mourned, this time for the loss of a mother and son who were discovered in devastating conditions. Today, Utah's Canyonlands national park remains open to visitors as investigators work to determine what led to the deaths of a mother and her six year old son who were found at the park on January 12, 2026. Officials announced that they're investigating the discovery as a murder suicide. Authorities have since confirmed that the mother and child were reported missing on January 7, 2026 by a man they identified as the woman's hus and the boy's father. He was in Colorado at the time. A day later on January 8, park rangers discovered their bodies in the island in the Sky District in Utah where a National Park Service employee filed a report around 8:15 in the morning. The employee said the vehicle had been parked in a no camping area and they thought the car had been there overnight. According to the National Park Service, both the woman and the child were pronounced dead at the scene. The boy was found inside the car unresponsive, so investigators immediately, immediately began trying to resuscitate him. When their efforts didn't work, they took him to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Meanwhile, the mother was found outside the car believed to already be dead. Investigators later confirmed the two were the mother and son duo who had traveled to the park from Colorado. Back at the scene, a firearm was recovered inside the vehicle. There were no signs of forced entry and both of these findings have led investigators to rule out third party involvement. Currently, officials say preliminary evidence indicates the child was shot followed by the mother taking her own life, but the Utah Office of the Medical examiner is conducting autopsies to determine the official cause and manner of death. The names of the mother and child haven't been released due to the breaking nature of the investigation, but officials have reiterated that violent incidents remain rare in the park and that normal operations continue as the investigation remains active. The In a statement, National Park Service spokesperson Jane Lacy acknowledged the emotional toll of the case, adding that authorities are diligently investigating the tragedy.
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Experian lastly, let me tell you about what else is happening at Crime House today. Clues is examining a tragic missing persons case that is still unsolved more than seven years later. It's the story of Jermaine Charlo, a member of the Confederated, Salish and Kootenay tribes. Across the U.S. and Canada, Indigenous women are disproportionately affected by violence, disappearances and unsolved homicides. This crisis is often referred to as missing and murdered Indigenous women, or mmiw. While exact numbers are difficult to calculate due to underreporting and data gaps, Indigenous women are consistently shown to face higher rates of violence and significantly lower rates of case resolution than non Indigenous women. Montana sits at the center of that reality. It's a state defined by distance, vast rural areas, long stretches of highway, communities separated by hours of travel. Today we're looking at three of the most significant unsolved true crime cases in Montana, cases involving Indigenous women whose disappearances remain unresolved. These aren't obscure mysteries. They're cases that continue to shape the conversation about law enforcement, equity and what justice looks like in Rural America Number one Jermaine Charlo disappeared after a night out in Missoula in 2018. Jermaine Charlo was 23 years old and the mother of a young child. She lived in Missoula and was described by friends and family as outgoing, social and closely connected to her community. On the evening of June 15, 2018, Jermaine went to the Badlander Complex. It's a popular downtown bar and nightclub. Surveillance footage and witness statements confirm she was inside during the night. In the early morning hours of June 16, shortly after closing time, she was seen leaving the bar alone. That moment is the last confirmed sighting of Jermaine Charlo. There's no verified evidence that she entered a vehicle with someone else, no confirmed argument, and no known destination. For investigators, that missing transition, the point where someone's plans change or another person becomes involved, has never been identified. Two weeks later, Germain's car was found near Evero Hill, north of Missoula along Interstate 90. The vehicle appeared to have gone off the road and down an embankment, but there was no clear crash scene, no skid marks, no debris field, no record of emergency services responding at the time. Jermaine was not there. Her personal belongings were reportedly still inside the vehicle. There was no clear indication of how long the car had been at the site or how she might have left the area on foot. The location itself was remote and heavily wooded. Equally troubling is the absence of a digital trail. Since the night she disappeared, there's been no confirmed phone activity, no bank transactions, and no verified social media use. In a modern missing person case, that level of silence is rare and and deeply concerning. Despite extensive searches, media coverage, and renewed attention tied to the MMIW movement, Jermaine Charlo has never been found. No arrests have been made, and no explanation has ever accounted for all of the known facts. Her case is now one of the most widely cited missing person investigations in Montana history, emblematic of how quickly someone can vanish, even in a populated area, and how difficult it is to recover answers once they cross into rural areas. Rural space number two Ashley Loring Heavy Runner vanished from the Blackfeet Nation in 2017 Ashley Loring Heavy Runner was 20 years old when she disappeared in June 2017 from the Blackfeet reservation near Browning, Montana. She was described as independent, strong willed, and deeply connected to her family and culture. Ashley was last seen in the early morning hours after leaving a party on foot. Where she was going, who she may have been with, and what happened next have never been confirmed. From the start, the investigation faced challenges unique to rural and reservation based cases. Distances are large, terrain is rugged, witnesses may be scattered across vast areas, and jurisdictional boundaries between tribal county, state, and federal authorities can slow coordination at critical early stages, search efforts for Ashley were extensive. Volunteers, tribal police, local law enforcement, and federal agencies participated. Helicopters and cadaver dogs were used. Areas were searched multiple times, and still no definitive trace of Ashley was found. As time passed, her family became central advocates in keeping the case alive. They organized searches, raised awareness, and worked with national organizations focused on MMIW cases. In 2020, law enforcement publicly named a person of interest, but no charges were filed and authorities emphasized that the case remained open. Ashley's disappearance has become one of the most frequently referenced cases in national discussions about missing and murdered Indigenous women. It illustrates how even sustained attention, community effort, and official involvement do not guarantee resolution, especially in remote regions with limited resources. Years later, Ashley Loring, heavy runner, has never been located. For her family, the absence of answers remains as painful as the day she vanished. Number three, Donna Mae Prentiss, a disappearance that foreshadowed decades of silence in 1974. Donna Mae Prentice was 20 years old when she disappeared in 1974 near St. Ignatius, Montana. She was also a member of the Confederated, Salish and Kootenai tribes. At the time, hitchhiking was common in rural Montana, especially for young people without reliable transportation. When Donna vanished, the response was limited. In the 1970s, missing Indigenous women were often not treated as urgent cases, particularly in rural areas. Early investigative efforts were minimal, and Leeds quickly went cold. Decades later, partial remains believed to be Donna's were discovered, confirming that she had likely been the victim of foul play. But by that point, crucial evidence was gone. Witnesses had aged or died, memories had faded, the opportunity for resolution had long passed. Donna Prentice's case is frequently cited by Montana law enforcement and advocacy groups because it illustrates a longer pattern, one where Indigenous women disappeared with little attention, leaving families with without answers for generations. Her case isn't just a mystery. It's a historical record of how investigative neglect compounds over time. These three cases span more than 40 years, but they're connected by more than geography. They reflect a broader reality faced by Indigenous women, one shaped by violence, underreporting jurisdictional complexity, and the challenges of solving crimes. In rural spaces. In Montana, distance works against justice. When communities are separated by hours of travel, when resources are limited, and when authority is divided among multiple agencies, cases can stall before they ever gain momentum. For Indigenous families, those delays are not abstract they are lived experiences. The missing and murdered Indigenous women crisis is not just about numbers. It's about stories that remain unfinished, families who continue to search, and systems still struggling to respond effectively. If you want more long form true crime that looks beyond headlines and asks why some cases are harder to solve than others, consider subscribing. Because in places, this vast silence can last a very long time. Unless people keep listening for the in depth story behind Jermaine Charlo's mysterious disappearance, head over to our Crime House feed for the latest episode of clues. You've been listening to crime house 247 bringing you breaking crime news. I'm Vanessa Richardson. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more developing stories. Stay safe and thanks for listening.
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Looking for your next list? Hi, it's Vanessa Richardson and I have exciting news. Conspiracy theories, Cults and crimes is leveling up starting the week of January 12th. You'll be getting two episodes every week. Wednesdays we unravel the conspiracy or the cult, and on Fridays we look at a corresponding crime. Follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen.