Man once charged in his wife’s disappearance and presumed death says he is innocent

A man once charged in the 2020 disappearance and presumed death of his wife said he’s innocent and accused Colorado authorities of having “tunnel vision” in suspecting only him.

“They’re wrong. They got tunnel vision, and they looked at one person, and they’ve got too much pride to say they’re wrong and look somewhere else,” Barry Morphew told ABC News in an interview that aired Monday.

Morphew filed a $15 million lawsuit this month against authorities who accused him of killing Suzanne Morphew, who hasn’t been seen since around Mother’s Day in May 2020.

Morphew was arrested in May 2021 and charged with first-degree murder. The case was dismissed last year.

Asked whether he had any role in his wife's disappearance, Morphew, 55, said: "Absolutely not. It's very hurtful to lose your reputation and your integrity."

The case was dismissed without prejudice, so authorities could arrest him again if they find new evidence. His wife's body has never been found.

"I was innocent the first time they arrested me, so I’m sure it's possible" another arrest could happen, Morphew said. "But I don't have anything to worry about. I’ve done nothing wrong."

Morphew's daughters said they support their father.

"I've never had a shred of doubt" about his innocence, said Macy Morphew, 19.

Mallory Morphew, 24, added: "Not one."

A Chaffee County sheriff’s spokesperson declined to comment Monday: "In keeping with the standing policy of Chaffee County and Sheriff’s Office, we do not offer comment on pending or active litigation or on-going investigations."

A representative for the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Monday.

Morphew, who conceded that his marriage wasn’t without challenges, said: "We had a wonderful life, a wonderful marriage. She was just so loving and giving and such a good mother."

Suzanne Morphew was diagnosed with cancer, he said.

"I know that she was going through chemotherapy for the last couple of years before her disappearance, and I know she was going through some hard things and made some bad decisions," he said. "She was really having trouble with the chemotherapy and the drugs."

Prosecutors have said Suzanne Morphew was ready to leave her husband, having told him in a text message shortly before she disappeared that “I’m done.”

She took "clear, articulable steps" in the months before she disappeared to separate from and divorce Morphew, prosecutors said.

Barry Morphew said the case’s notoriety prompted him to leave Colorado. He has struggled gaining employment with Suzanne Morphew's disappearance still hanging over his head, defense attorney Iris Eytan said Monday.

"He tries to find work doing landscaping projects, but it is very difficult because his name has been wrongly associated with being a murderer," Eytan said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com