A Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent who testified in the murder case against Barry Morphew resigned from the agency last month amid an internal affairs investigation.
According to a letter obtained by the Denver Post, former Agent Joseph Cahill resigned December 8th, two days before an internal affairs report was issued about an “accidental discharge” of his personal gun in his home while off duty.
CBI Director John Camper wrote in the letter delivered to District Attorney Linda Stanley, “I am writing to inform you that there may be information contained in a Colorado Bureau of Investigation internal affairs report that may impact the credibility of Joseph Cahill.”
The letter was released yesterday.
54-year-old Barry Morphew is charged with first degree murder in the death of his wife Suzanne. Suzanne has been missing since Mother’s Day 2020. Investigators believe Morphew killed his wife in a fit of rage after discovering she had been carrying on a months-long extramarital affair, then lied and hid evidence to try to cover his tracks.
Barry Morphew maintains that he is innocent, and his defense attorneys have argued that his wife may have run away or kidnapped. During an August hearing, Cahill testified that investigators found male DNA on Suzanne’s glove box that did not match her husband but did correspond with partial DNA profiles found in three unsolved sexual assault cases in different states.
At the time, Chief Judge Patrick Murphy called the DNA “pretty critical evidence.” He has since removed himself from the case over a potential conflict of interest. The case was reassigned to District Judge Ramsey Lama.
It is not clear how the letter about Cahill’s credibility would impact the case against Morphew, but the letter was discussed in court yesterday during a pre-scheduled motions hearing. The hearing continues today.
