The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said Suzanne Morhew, the Colorado mother who disappeared while riding her bicycle in May 2020, died of a homicide, according to autopsy results released Monday.
An autopsy determined that her death was caused by “homicide by unspecified means while intoxicated with butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine.”
“These drugs are sold as injectable chemical fixatives formulated for wildlife use,” according to the El Paso County Medical Examiner's autopsy.
The report said there were no signs of trauma on her body at the time of her death.
Suzanne's husband, Barry Morhew, was charged with her murder in 2021, but the charges were dropped in April 2022, just before the trial began. No one has been arrested in the case since then.
“The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and our law enforcement partners understand and appreciate the public interest surrounding this case,” CBI Director Chris Schaefer said in a statement Monday. “The investigative team assembled to take this case forward will continue to follow evidence as we seek justice for Suzanne's death.”
Her body was discovered in September 2023 while investigators were searching for an unrelated incident. Her body was discovered in Saguash County, Moffat, Colorado, about 90 minutes south of Chaffee County, where she lived.
In a statement from their lawyer, the Morphew family said: “For the past four years, the Morphews have struggled with Suzanne's disappearance.” “This included not only the grief of losing a wife and mother, but also the false accusation and prosecution of Barry Morphew. We have prayed that they would find the culprit.''However, the Morphews are left with more questions than answers and a lack of justice for Suzanne, her family and the community. ”
In addition to her clothes, the autopsy said a “weathered bullet” was also found with her body.
Barry and his adult daughters, Macy and Mallory, also accused him of not telling investigators whether DNA tests were performed on the bullets and clothing.
Barry and her daughters spoke to ABC News in May 2023 after they filed a lawsuit against prosecutors alleging they were wrongfully charged.
“They have tunnel vision, they're looking at one person, and they're so proud that they say they're wrong and look elsewhere,” Morhew said at the time. . “There's nothing to worry about. I didn't do anything wrong.”
ABC News' Jen Leong, Jenna Harrison, Meredith DeRiso, Morgan Windsor and Eliel Reshef contributed to this report.