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Barry Morphew ditched work release for Denver airport trip while awaiting wife’s murder trial: prosecutors

A Colorado husband awaiting trial for the alleged murder of his wife was re-arrested Thursday night after a judge issued a bench warrant for release violations, prosecutors said.

Barry Morphew ditched work release for Denver airport trip while awaiting wife's murder trial: prosecutors

Barry Morphew was taken into custody after a state judge cited him for failure to comply with his pretrial release conditions, according to court documents.

The defendant was arrested at approximately 9:11 p.m. Thursday and booked into the Boulder County Jail, records show.

A judge ordered the accused held on a $3 million cash-only bond with nationwide extradition, court records state. Morphew remains jailed while awaiting trial in the alleged killing of Suzanne Morphew, according to prosecutors.

On Aug. 26, GPS monitoring recorded the husband leaving his residence under a conditions exception that permitted him to depart strictly for employment, prosecutors said.

The defendant did not go to work, according to prosecutors.

His GPS tracking device instead allegedly showed the accused driving to Denver International Airport, according to court filings.

Attorneys for the accused stated that he may have travelled to the airport terminal to pick up his daughter. Prosecutors argued that his purpose was irrelevant because the release exception applied strictly to employment, court records show.

After departing the airport, the husband’s GPS tracked him near several hotels and a shopping mall, according to prosecutors.

The accused eventually travelled into the same Denver area where he was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run collision later that day, prosecutors said.

Video obtained by CBS Colorado reportedly showed Morphew after the crash refusing to provide identification or insurance paperwork. He allegedly offered the other driver cash before fleeing the scene, the station reported.

The driver has not been charged in connection with the collision, according to authorities.

Prosecutors pointed to the alleged unauthorized travel while arguing to the court that Morphew presents an “extreme flight risk.”

Morphew previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder, according to court records.

The defendant continues to deny killing his wife, according to court documents.

On Sept. 8, Morphew will be physically transported to Alamosa for a bond hearing, according to court records.

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