SALIDA, Colo. — On Saturday afternoon, a small but intimate group gathered at the Poncha Springs Town Hall for a remembrance ceremony of Suzanne Morphew, whose mysterious disappearance shook this close-knit community and garnered attention nationwide. With Morphew's remains now discovered, this year's ceremony felt different for many attendees.
This Mother's Day weekend marks four years since Morphew's disappearance, also marking the fourth year community members are coming together to honor her memory. The ceremony was attended by a few dozen individuals, many wearing their black "Justice for Suzanne" t-shirts, a tradition upheld by those who return each year.
Unlike years past, there was no uncertainty about where she might be. The group talked about how they felt when her remains were discovered in September, and their reaction when an autopsy ruled her death a homicide in April. The case's new findings garnered a consensus of renewed hope amongst the group.
"It's one step closer to justice... That hopefully will mean a conviction in her murder," said Denise Juarez.
Juarez helped host the event with one of Morphew's friends, Tisha Leewaye.
Tables adorned with butterflies and small pouches filled with forget-me-not seeds symbolized both remembrance and resilience, as the community vowed to keep Suzanne's memory alive while awaiting developments in the ongoing investigation.
People took turns giving speeches, including a family member of Edna Quintana, the woman investigators were originally looking for when they found Morphew's remains.
The plan was to go Moffat after the ceremony to plant a lilac tree near where Morphew's remains were found, but the snow ended up quashing those plans. Melinda Morphew, Suzanne's sister, sent a letter intended to be read during the planting ceremony, expressing gratitude to the community for their presence and regret that she couldn't be there.
"Today as we commemorate Suzanne's discovery, in the arid desolation of the San Luis Valley of Saguache County. I was blessed to visit the place where you stand today. For me, it was a day of some closure and peace where I no longer had thoughts of my sister being abandoned and left alone. She has been found. I hope you all feel the same comfort today. The planting of this lilac tree is indeed a symbolic reminder of Suzanne, like the lilac was sweet in the fragrance of her life. Her temperament was breezy and light. She would have loved the choice of the lilac as her commemorative tree, she would have smiled with delight."
Juarez often thinks back to 2020 when she joined hundreds of others in the strenuous week-long search through the mountains for Morphew.
"We'd get like a game plan for the day, and then the end of the day would come, and nobody would find anything. It was really discouraging... Being on that search really changed me," Juarez said.
Like Juarez, many people in the room didn't personally know Morphew, but the group is familiar with each other, bound by that singular cause.
"That's our biggest message is we want to be her voice and we want justice to come fast," Juarez said.
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