Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Justice for Suzanne Morphew? | Crime Alert Recap Saturday 06.21.25

Episode Date: June 21, 2025

Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert Here's some of our top stories this week: ...Barry Morphew indicted again in the death of his wife Suzanne.  Andrew Wiley, who faced charges for the alleged murder of his 12-year-old daughter and the subsequent disposal of her body in a remote area of Georgia, has died in the Leon County jail, as reported by the Sheriff's Office A 4-year-old girl is dead and three of her siblings are injured after a man opens fire on his girlfriend and her five children during a trip from Iowa to Tennessee. Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 crime alert hourly update I'm Jackie Howard, husband Morphew is back behind ba the murder of his wife Su Mother's Day weekend. Our details. Barry Morphew wa after a grand jury handed for the first degree mur of his wife. He is suspected of killing Suzanne Morphew four years ago. The Colorado
Starting point is 00:00:30 Bureau of Investigation said the case continued to be investigated and this past year saw major developments in the case when results of a long awaited toxicology report a test found that Morphew had chemicals in her bones that do not appear naturally in humans. Butorfenol, azaperone, and meditomidine, the chemicals found in Morphew's femur, are used by biologists, wildlife officers, and hunters to anesthetize large-sized animals such as deer, bear, moose, and horses. The autopsy report was performed by the El Paso County Coroner's Office, found Morphew's cause of death to be undetermined and the manner of death to be homicide. Results from Morphew's autopsy took a
Starting point is 00:01:13 long time to be released, seven months as investigators waited for the test results. Butorfenol, azaparone, and meditomidine are the same substances that Suzanne's husband Barry Morphew told investigators he routinely used to immobilize deer before he removed their antlers. The initial investigation into Suzanne's death centered significantly on her husband Barry, whose 130-page arrest affidavit shed light on his involvement with the same tranquilizers found in Suzanne's system. More crime and justice news after this.
Starting point is 00:01:52 I'm Nicole Parton, Andrew Wiley, who faced charges for the alleged murder of his 12 year old daughter and the subsequent disposal of her body in a remote area of Georgia has passed away in a Leon County jail. This is reported by the Sheriff's office. At 36 years old, Wiley was the father of Lori Page who had been missing from Tallahassee for two years. On June 19, Sheriff's spokesperson, Jovani Hampton, released a statement indicating that Wiley had, quote,
Starting point is 00:02:22 experienced a medical emergency while in state's custody. He was promptly transported to the medical unit for treatment. L. C. S. O. Detention staff initiated life saving measures and were assisted by emergency responders upon their arrival. Hampton stated Wiley was declared dead at 5 36 p.m. According to the news release, Wiley had been in custody since April 2025, and his next of kin has been informed. The Sheriff's Office is adhering to standard procedures concerning an in custody death,
Starting point is 00:02:55 and an autopsy by the medical examiner's office is scheduled to determine the cause of death. Additional details, including whether his death was a suicide, have not been disclosed. Wiley's death marks the eighth fatality among the inmates at the Leon County jail in the past two years. This year alone, Wiley is the third inmate to die at that county detention center. In February, a 26 year old woman also died following a medical emergency. Her name was not
Starting point is 00:03:23 made public, but it was reported that she was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead at that time. Authorities stated that foul play was not involved prior to that. In January, Nicholas Shoemaker, a 36 year old man, was found unresponsive in the same jail,
Starting point is 00:03:40 and also police said no indications of foul play in 2024. The death toll included at least five inmates who died either in jail or being transported to the hospital from the jail. Young Lori Page had been the focus of an extensive missing child investigation for nearly two years when her remains were discovered following a controlled burn in a secluded area of Thomas County, Georgia. She had vanished in June, 2023 at the age of 12 law enforcement,
Starting point is 00:04:11 the FBI volunteers and her family had been engaged in searching for her during that time. Wiley who had initially reported Lori missing was facing a second degree murder charge in relation to her disappearance. Investigators followed numerous leads across various states, undertaking what was described as a comprehensive investigation, including a grid search at St. Louis Mission Park, the last known location of the girl. Lori's community became actively involved in the search for the missing girl, particularly one of her school teachers who initiated letting police know she
Starting point is 00:04:49 had been missing. I actually met him and talked with him three different times and I hugged him each time and just told him, don't worry. You know, we're going to speak up for her. We're going to look for her and we'll never give up. And I thought I was giving him comforting words. And now I'm only imagining what he was thinking. Detectives noted that Lori's case presented unique challenges
Starting point is 00:05:14 compared to typical missing child cases, largely due to her absence of a digital footprint. She did not possess a phone or engage in social media. Additionally, her family situation was complex, with relatives residing in three different states, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia. Lori had previously been in the care of the state's Department of Children and Family Services
Starting point is 00:05:36 during her early years, as there was no one to adequately care for her. She had run away from home about a month prior to her disappearance, reportedly taking refuge at an apartment complex pool where friends and neighbors would bring her food. Them kids deserve that. No kid deserves that. No kid, no kid. I'm drew Nelson. A four year old girl is dead and three of her siblings are injured after a man
Starting point is 00:06:03 opens fire on his girlfriend and her five Children during a trip from Iowa to Tennessee. The shooting happened late Saturday night as the family traveled through the belcher area of north Nashville. Police said the man, a 26 year old from Davenport, Iowa, got into an argument with his girlfriend, a 41 year old woman from Illinois. She was driving them to visit relatives. He threw her phone out the window, then tried to grab the steering wheel of the minivan. She managed to stop the van. That's when the man pulled out a pistol
Starting point is 00:06:32 and shot her several times. The woman got out and ran for help. Police said the man then fired into the van at her five children. Four of them were hit. A four year old girl was shot in the neck and back and later died. A one year old boy was shot 3 times in the stomach. A 7 year-old girl was shot 7 times once in the stomach and 6 times in the legs. A
Starting point is 00:06:54 13 year-old girl was shot twice in the stomach. The 1 year-old and 7 year-old are still in critical condition while the 13 year-old is stable. Miraculously a 3 year-old boy in the van was not shot. The woman was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was
Starting point is 00:07:08 shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was
Starting point is 00:07:13 shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot.
Starting point is 00:07:19 The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The man was shot. The million dollars. He faces one count of criminal homicide, five counts of attempted homicide, three counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated battery. It's tragic. It's the tragedy of babies. It's babies.
Starting point is 00:07:33 Both is there someone to do that to some babies to anyone for that matter. Local residents say they are shaken by what happened like Tasha, who lives nearby. She tells WTVF she started a small memorial. I just went and got some artificial flowers and put it right there and I came out. Someone put another set of flowers came out this morning. It's a balloon with a little baby doll on it. The victims and
Starting point is 00:07:58 the shooter have not been named. The mother told investigators their relationship had begun in January and the argument was about possibly ending things. The investigation is ongoing. I'm Jennifer Gould. Yeehaw! This roundup was really wild. A Washington State deputy just proved he is the best in the West, perfectly roping a chainsaw-wielding maniac with the skill of a rodeo champ. Pierce County deputies found a 32 year old in a mental health crisis,
Starting point is 00:08:30 chasing his own dad with a roaring chainsaw. Scary, right? Well, after corralling the defiant suspect into a pond, an hour of tense negotiations went absolutely nowhere. But then a rural mountain detachment deputy had a stroke of genius. Pierce County Deputy Carly Capetto spoke to King 5 Seattle. This deputy totally thought outside of the box and was like, hey, I've got a lasso in my car.
Starting point is 00:08:56 Put that down, please. Let's go right here. Drop the chainsaw and get out of the water. He pulled out his trusty lasso, usually for wrangling livestock, and with a flick, bam, it landed perfectly around the suspect's torso. He was literally tied to his fate, screaming as he was dragged from the water. No one got cut in this jaw-dropping showdown, proving some problems you just got to rope into submission. For the latest crime and justice news,
Starting point is 00:09:23 follow the Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app. With this Crime Alert, into submission.

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