Texas tycoon Brad Simpson charged with murder of his wife Suzanne one month after mom-of-four went missing
The husband of missing San Antonio relator Suzanne Simpson has been officially charged with murder, more than a month after she disappeared.
Suzanne Clark Simpson, 51, was last seen on October 6 in Olmos Park, a suburb of the Texas city, after she allegedly got into an argument with Brad Simpson, her husband of 22 years.
On Thursday afternoon, Simpson, 53, was formally charged after he was taken from the Bexar County Jail by officers and questioned. He was later returned to prison.
According to News4 San Antoniohis arrest affidavit must remain sealed for the next 30 days.
Simpson was arrested three days after his wife disappeared and initially charged with unlawful restraint and assault occasioning bodily harm.
Suzanne Clark Simpson, 51, was last seen on October 6 in Olmos Park, a suburb of the Texas city
On Thursday afternoon, Simpson, 53, was formally charged after he was taken from the Bexar County Jail by officers and questioned.
He was also later charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and ultimately charged with tampering/fabricating physical evidence.
Suzanne was last seen outside their swanky $1.5 million home before the couple walked into nearby bushland, where a neighbor heard screams.
She has not been seen since as officers conduct an extensive search in the area for her remains.
It has since emerged that Simpson had been sending frantic text messages to his friend and business partner James Valle Cotter, telling him: ‘I don’t have much time’.
Cotter has been charged with tampering with evidence after police discovered an AK-47 in the wall of his home.
Police allege Cotter helped Simpson hide a gun linked to his wife’s disappearance.
According to an arrest affidavit, Simpson texted Cotter the day after he formally reported Suzanne missing, writing, “If you’re in Bandera, can you meet me at your house?”
“I don’t have much time,” the original text read, according to KENS5.
A secondary text would read: ‘Sorry for the urgency, but you’re all I have, especially right now… social media is killing me.’
Suzanne was last seen outside their swanky $1.5 million home, before the couple walked into nearby bushland, where a neighbor heard screams
A terrifying photo of Suzanne earlier that day shows her walking through The Argyle after attending a party
Authorities in Texas say his wife, who worked for Nix Realty Company, disappeared after attending a party at The Argyle in the Alamo Heights neighborhood.
A terrifying photo of Suzanne earlier that day shows her walking through the complex wearing a dark, knee-length dress with her hair falling past her shoulders.
Just hours after this photo was taken, neighbors claim they heard an aggressive fight between Suzanne and her husband.
That neighbor claims he saw Simpson punch and restrain his wife before they both wandered off into a nearby wooded area.
Shortly after that interaction, the neighbor claims he heard screams coming from the woods before Simpson allegedly drove away in his truck.
The affidavit for his arrest warrant revealed that he called his brother Barton after Suzanne disappeared and “apologized for any trouble he had caused.”
The affidavit also revealed that the couple’s youngest child told school staff that her mother and father were ‘fighting.’
She told staff that “her father punched her mother in the face and possibly pushed her against a wall.”
Just hours after this photo was taken, neighbors claim they heard an aggressive fight between Suzanne and her husband outside their home, seen here
Police had searched a San Antonio landfill last month and said there was a “good chance” of finding her
The youngster added that “her mother had a bruise on her elbow and her father had taken her mother’s cell phone.”
His murder charge came just hours after their daughter, 20-year-old Chandler Simpson, spoke out on social media, claiming her mother had been abused by her father.
The younger Simpson claimed he “took my mother’s life in a state of rage and control.”
In her post, Chandler said, “In our community this should not be happening, and I will not stop speaking as my mother’s voice until she is found.
“As my mother’s daughter, I will tell our story again and again. With every breath I make sure you remember her name.
“Suzanne Simpson was a victim of abuse and a victim of this community. Besides being a victim, she was a phenomenal mother, hardworking, driven, loving and kind.”