Inset Left: Brad Simpson (Kendall County Sheriff’s Office). Inset Right: Suzanne Simpson (Olmos Park Police Department). Background: The house where Suzanne Simpson was last seen (Google Maps).
The husband of a Texas woman who disappeared from her affluent suburb has been indicted for her alleged murder — even though her body has never been found.
Brad Chandler Simpson, 53, was indicted on Tuesday in the death of Suzanne Clark Simpson, 51. He faces charges of murder, assault, and tampering with physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse, online court records show.
The San Antonio Express-News quoted from the indictment, revealing some details about the alleged evidence, including a power tool potentially used in the alleged murder.
“On or about October 8th, 2024, Brad Chandler Simpson did then and there, knowing that an investigation was in progress, namely a missing persons investigation, conceal a thing, namely a reciprocating saw, with the intent to impair its availability as evidence in the investigation,” the indictment reads.
Brad Simpson’s public defender is pushing back on the indictment, seeking to have it tossed, calling it vague.
In a statement on Facebook, Suzanne Simpson’s brother, Barton Tinsley Simpson, reacted to the news of the indictment, saying the family is “deeply troubled and heartbroken by the events surrounding the grand jury indictment of Brad for the tragic death of his wife.”
“The details outlined in the case are disturbing and painful for all involved,” he said. “We want to express our profound gratitude to the law enforcement agencies for their tireless work and dedication to seeking justice. Their commitment to uncovering the truth is something we hold in the highest regard. We have faith in our criminal justice system and believe that the grand jury has done their sworn duty to review the evidence and determine that it is sufficient to move forward to trial.”
“We urge Brad to do the right thing by fully cooperating with the authorities,” he added. “For the sake of his children and the family who loves him, we ask him to accept responsibility and place himself at the mercy of the court. It is our sincere hope that through accountability, healing can begin for everyone affected by this devastating loss. We ask for privacy as we navigate this difficult time and thank the community for their understanding and support.”
As Law&Crime reported in October, Suzanne Simpson, a mother of four, was last seen around 11 p.m. on Oct. 6, according to the Olmos Police Department. Brad Simpson was arrested on Oct. 9 and held on initial charges of one count each of assault causing bodily injury to a family member and unlawful restraint.
During a press conference at the time, Olmos Park Police Chief Fidel Villegas said Brad Simpson was not a suspect in his wife’s disappearance, but he said there was “a disturbance” between the couple the night Suzanne Simpson went missing.
That disturbance occurred at a club called The Argyle in nearby Alamo Heights, a neighborhood of San Antonio that bounds the affluent enclave of Olmos Park.
Authorities were not made aware of that disturbance until the husband himself made mention of the “altercation” when he reported his wife missing some 24 hours later, the police chief said. There were indications, including witness statements, that things “got physical” between the couple in both San Antonio and then, later, back home.
While treating the matter like a normal missing persons case, police made an appointment to follow up with Brad Simpson, Villegas said.
“He didn’t keep that appointment,” the police chief said during the press conference. “So, he’s been uncooperative with that.”
By the time police began their search for Suzanne Simpson, her cellphone had gone missing as well, authorities said.
What led police to make that arrest — on the two relatively minor charges at least — is spelled out in an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by San Antonio-based ABC affiliate KSAT.
One neighbor told police that sometime between 10 and 11 p.m. on Sunday, he heard loud arguing outside his bedroom window, according to the affidavit. Then, when he looked outside, he allegedly saw the Simpsons engaged in a physical altercation.
During the fracas, Suzanne Simpson was trying to get away from her husband, the neighbor said. Brad Simpson “was clearly attempting to keep Ms. Simpson from running away,” according to the affidavit.
The same neighbor would go on to tell police he last saw the couple walking to the west, according to the affidavit. Then, he said, he heard two or three screams coming from a brushy area nearby. About an hour later, the neighbor told police he saw Brad Simpson leave his house in a black GMC pickup truck. The neighbor said the husband returned one to two hours after that, according to the affidavit.
The day after she disappeared, Brad Simpson received a call from the school one of their children attends alerting him that Suzanne had not picked up their child, police said. The husband told investigators his wife was tasked with picking the kids up from school.
On Oct. 8, school staff told police the Simpson’s daughter said her parents were “fighting,” that her father had given her mother a bruise on the elbow, and taken her phone away, according to the affidavit.
A former business partner of Brad Simpson also faces a charge of tampering with evidence with intent to impair an investigation.
Brad Simpson is being held in lieu of $2 million at the Bexar County Jail.
Colin Kalmbacher contributed to this report.
