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Brother of Suzanne Morphew starts 6-day search effort in Colorado

More than four months after she went missing, the brother of 49-year-old Suzanne Morphew is bringing volunteers to Chaffee County for a six day search effort.

CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. — A renewed search effort began Thursday for a Colorado mom who went for a bike ride more than four months ago and never returned.

Suzanne Morphew, 49, went missing on Mother's Day, May 10. The Maysville resident left her home for a bike ride and never returned.

After the first day of searching, volunteers did not find Suzanne or her remains. 

Investigators said they have followed up on hundreds of tips and conducted numerous searches over the last several months, but there is still no trace of the missing mother.

Her brother, Andy Moorman, and volunteers from Indiana began a six-day search effort Thursday morning in Chaffee County to search the mountainous area where she was last seen.

"We are trying to find my little sister, take her home, give her a proper burial and closure for my family," said Moorman. "Winter is closing in. This needs to happen before winter. My idea is that we need to get this search done and get it done now."

The mother of two is originally from Indiana, but moved to Colorado with her family a couple years ago, according to WTHR, our sister station in Indiana.

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation are serving in a support role in Moorman's search effort and not in a lead capacity.

"I do feel like this area has been searched over before us, but I still want to walk it again. I have to eliminate it in my grid," said Moorman as he searched an area near the Morphew home with a team of volunteers. "Work does the heart good. This is work. In a way I feel like I’m moving forward and not sitting still. I’m happy for that."

More than a hundred people showed up to search for Suzanne, splitting up into groups to try and find her. 

"I'm scared of what I will find and what I won’t find. It’s a double-edged sword, I’m afraid," said Moorman. "Not finding would be the worst. The best I’ll be able to get out of that is at least I gave it a damn big effort."

In May, search teams combed through a construction site outside of Salida. At the time, investigators would not say if they found any evidence.

Shortly after Morphew’s disappearance, investigators searched the Maysville area after deputies found a personal item belonging to her. They wouldn’t say what that item was.

In May, Morphew’s husband Barry posted a video on Facebook pleading for his wife’s return.

A $200,000 reward is offered for information related to Morphew's disappearance. Half of that money is being offered by Morphew's family, according to a Facebook group set up to help find her. The other half is coming from a family friend who decided to match the family's offer.

On Friday evening the town of Salida came together to remember Morphew.

Morphew's brother Andrew spoke about his younger sister who he’s been trying to find for months. More than a hundred others came together to share memories of her. 

For those who knew her, it was a chance to think back on the times they shared together.

"She was a bright light. Whenever you see her, she just was a gem. There’s no other way to describe her. She was just a beauty," said Cindy Glovan, a friend of Morphew's who helped organize the vigil. 

The Chaffee County sheriff was at the vigil. Morphew's husband Barry was not there and has not participated in the search this week.

Volunteers say they found some pieces of clothing and other articles after the first day of searching for Suzanne, but the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office said none of it is connected with the case.

RELATED: Sheriff planning another search in ‘near future’ 4 months after Suzanne Morphew’s disappearance

RELATED: Brother of Suzanne Morphew plans search effort in Colorado

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