Husband charged with murder amid search for missing Texas wife Suzanne Simpson

SAN ANTONIO (TCN) -- Law enforcement officials announced Friday that they charged missing woman Suzanne Simpson’s husband with murder one month after she disappeared following an argument.

Bexar County court records show the murder charge was filed against Brad Simpson on Thursday, Nov. 7. Brad Simpson was arrested on charges of assault with bodily injury, unlawful restraint, tampering with evidence, and owning a prohibited weapon. With the $2 million bail set on Nov. 7, his total bail amount now stands at $5 million.

Suzanne Simpson was last seen on the evening of Oct. 6 when she and Brad Simpson got into an altercation at a local club. Simpson reported his wife missing the next day to the Olmos Park Police Department, and police learned their fight "could have gotten physical."

According to Simpson’s arrest affidavit, on Oct. 6, one of the Simpsons' neighbors reportedly saw him "grabbing her upper torso area to gain control of her body." The neighbor allegedly noticed that Suzanne Simpson was "attempting to get away from Mr. Simpson’s grasp as he tried to pull her downward." The neighbor heard screams not long after that.

Simpson reportedly received a call on Oct. 7 from his daughter’s school telling him that his wife did not pick up their daughter. Their 5-year-old daughter reportedly told school staff that her "dad had hit her mom in the face and possibly pushed her into a wall." Investigators tried to speak with Simpson, but he "was uncooperative during the investigation and failed to attend the scheduled follow-up interview." He reportedly went to another property he owned "and appeared to be separating himself from his family."

KSAT-TV reports that Simpson reached out to his business associate, James Cotter, on Oct. 8 and asked him to "haul a--" and meet him at Cotter’s house because he did not "have much time."

Simpson allegedly texted Cotter, "OK, make sure to leave all that s--t in the pump house, especially that gun."

Two weeks later, the Olmos Park Police Department received information that Simpson told Cotter to hide an AK-47 he left in his house. Investigators executed a search warrant at Cotter’s home and located a matching AK-47 rifle that was fully automatic.

Detectives found similar guns in Simpson’s house as well. The gun is technically classified as a machine gun because it switches from semiautomatic to automatic, according to KSAT. Those firearms must be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Brad Simpson’s brother, Barton Simpson, told KSAT after the murder charge was filed, "It is heartbreaking, but it brings our family some peace to know that authorities have gathered sufficient evidence to feel confident in moving forward with charges. This also helps us to come to terms with the reality that Suzanne is no longer with us, allowing us to begin a difficult grieving process and focus on rebuilding our lives, especially for the sake of the children and our extended family."

Suzanne Simpson has not been found.

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