SAN ANTONIO — Brad Simpson, whose wife, Suzanne Simpson, has been missing for more than a month, has been charged with murder.
Online records list an “offense date” of Oct. 6, which is when Suzanne, 51, was last seen in their Olmos Park neighborhood north of downtown San Antonio. His bond was set at $2 million, bringing his total bonds from all charges filed against him to $5 million.
Brad Simpson, 53, has been jailed since Oct. 9. Weeks of searching at multiple sites in the region have turned up no evidence indicating what may have happened to his wife.
The missing realtor and mother of four was last seen near their home on East Olmos Drive. A neighbor told investigators he saw Brad physically restraining his wife after hearing arguing between the two.
When the neighbor grabbed a flashlight and tried to look for them, he said he “heard two to three screams from a wooden/brushy area east of his residence.” He later saw Brad’s black truck leaving the home before telling police it returned one to two hours later.
Brad Simpson was arrested later that week on a slew of charges, including assault and tampering with evidence.
Relatives of Brad, who have shown support for law enforcement efforts while condemning his lack of cooperation in the investigation, called the development “heartbreaking.”
“But it brings our family some peace to know that authorities have gathered sufficient evidence to feel confident in moving forward with charges,” said Bart Simpson, Brad’s brother. “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.”
In addition to his Bexar County charges, Simpson has a federal hold by the U.S. Marshals for allegedly owning an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
Law enforcement embarked on searches for Suzanne, starting in the family’s neighborhood and expanding to a Boerne property and, later, a landfill east of San Antonio.
DPS said they received information during their investigation that led them to narrow their search to the east-side landfill, where for four days a contingent of local and state law enforcement scoured for clues. Police in Olmos Park told residents at the time they were “confident there is a good chance of recovering Suzanne” at the site.
Later, parts of the Olmos Basin were also searched in connection with Suzanne’s disappearance.
Earlier in the day on Thursday, a judge reduced the total bonds for Brad Simpson’s longtime business partner, who is accused of hiding his AK-47 last month just before his arrest. James Cotter is contending with charges of prohibited weapons and tampering with evidence.
The Simpsons’ 20-year-old daughter, Chandler, said on social media this week she believed Brad took her mother’s life “in a state of rage and control,” and accosted the Olmos Park community for “not speaking about domestic violence.”