By Tori Mason
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DENVER, Colorado (KCNC) — A woman involved in a hit-and-run incident in Denver last week believes the driver who struck her vehicle was Barry Morphew, the Colorado man currently charged with murdering his wife Suzanne Morphew.
Denver police have not confirmed the identity of the driver but a source close to the Morphew family who reviewed the Denver video told CBS Colorado he is certain the man depicted is Barry Morphew. Also, video of the encounter reviewed by CBS Colorado contains another potential connection to Morphew — an Indiana license plate that also appears in court records from his murder case.
Video shows driver leaving the area after refusing to provide ID The incident happened on Aug. 26 around 7:30 p.m. near East 8th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.
Christina, the woman whose car was struck, said she and a friend were sitting in her vehicle outside CVS when she noticed a black Ford pickup closely following another vehicle and repeatedly honking. CBS Colorado is not including her last name in this report for safety reasons.
She pulled out her phone to record what was happening.
That’s when she said the pickup backed into her car.
Her video shows her repeatedly asking the driver for identification and insurance information. She said he refused to provide either.
“He didn’t tell me his name, didn’t give any insurance at all,” she said. “He was just trying to give me $300 cash.”
In the video, she can be heard telling the driver she does not feel comfortable accepting money and again asking for his insurance information. When she asks whether he has insurance, the man responds, “No, I don’t.”
The video also shows the man attempting to buff scratches from Christina’s vehicle while she continues trying to obtain his information.
“He ran away once we told him we were calling the cops,” she said.
Video shows the pickup quickly leaving the area and driving over a curb as it departs.
Christina remained at the scene and filed a police report when officers arrived.
Denver police told CBS Colorado Tuesday that the department could not confirm any suspect information.
Driver said she didn’t recognize the man during the encounter Christina said she did not recognize the man during the encounter. That changed the following day.
“I sent the video to my mom the next day, we were on the phone, and she recognized him immediately,” she said.
Her mother believed the man resembled Barry Morphew. Christina said she then searched for information about Morphew and looked at his publicly available booking photo.
“I almost, I almost passed out because that’s literally him,” Christina said.
Pickup displayed same license plate found in court records CBS Colorado found another potential connection while reviewing the video.
The black Ford pickup involved in the Denver incident displays Indiana license plate F397FR.
That exact plate number appears in court records in Morphew’s pending murder case.
In a prosecution filing opposing a request to reduce Morphew’s bond, prosecutors said investigators used license plate reader technology and determined Morphew had traveled in two different vehicles using Indiana plate F397FR between 2023 and 2025. Prosecutors said the vehicles traveled through several states.
CBS Colorado also reviewed surveillance video collected during the investigation into Suzanne Morphew’s disappearance that shows Barry Morphew exiting a dark-colored pickup similar in appearance to the truck seen in Christina’s video.
Murder suspect has restrictions on his movement Morphew is currently charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Suzanne, who disappeared in Chaffee County in 2020 and whose remains were found more than three years later. He has pleaded not guilty.
Morphew is currently free on a $3 million bond with restrictions on his movement.
According to his bond conditions, Morphew is GPS monitored and cannot leave his home except for a medical emergency, doctor’s appointment, legal matter or work. He surrendered his passport and is prohibited from leaving Colorado. His bond conditions also state he may drive only vehicles registered in his name.
The bond document warns that if Morphew fails to comply with his conditions, the court can revoke his release, increase his bail or modify his bond conditions.
CBS Colorado sent Morphew’s attorney an image from Christina’s video and requested comment and confirmation of whether the man depicted is his client. The attorney responded that he was working to obtain more information.
CBS Colorado also contacted the district attorney’s office prosecuting Morphew’s murder case. The office had not responded as of Tuesday evening.
“He hit two cars and drove off” Christina said learning who she believes she encountered made her more fearful, but she said she was concerned about the driver’s behavior before she had ever heard Morphew’s name.
During the incident, Christina said she was frightened by what she described as the driver’s aggressive behavior toward the other driver and his refusal to provide information after hitting her vehicle.
“Before I even knew who he was, I was like, I just want this man off the road because he is obviously very aggressive and cannot contain his anger,” Christina said. “He hit two cars and drove off.”
Denver police said their investigation remains ongoing.
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