DA Who Oversaw Abandoned Prosecution of Colorado Man in Wife’s Death Should Be Disbarred, Panel Says

DA Who Oversaw Abandoned Prosecution of Colorado Man in Wife’s Death Should Be Disbarred, Panel Says
Linda Stanley leaves the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse after the first day of her disciplinary hearing, in Denver on June 10, 2024. RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via AP
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DENVER—Colorado state regulators have ruled that a district attorney who brought criminal charges that were ultimately dismissed against a man accused of killing his missing wife should no longer be allowed to work as a lawyer, finding that her management of the high-profile case resulted in the prosecution “running aground.”

The panel issued a 2–1 ruling Tuesday to disbar 11th District Attorney Linda Stanley, who prosecuted Barry Morphew in the death of his wife Suzanne Morphew, who was reported missing on Mother’s Day in 2020. Barry Morphew had posted a video on social media pleading for his wife’s return soon after she vanished. His arrest a year later prompted widespread media attention.