Husband charged with murder of realtor Suzanne Simpson showed 'no emotion' after her disappearance: docs
Authorities are still searching for the remains of Texas realtor Suzanne Simpson, who vanished seven weeks ago, while recently unsealed court records reveal that her husband showed "no emotion" upon finding out about his wife's disappearance before ultimately being charged in his wife's murder.
The 51-year-old mother of four went missing on Oct. 6 after allegedly fighting with her husband of 22 years in front of their house in Olmos Park, in the San Antonio area, records show.
Authorities believe Brad Simpson "intentionally and knowingly caused the death" of Suzanne Simpson "on or about Sunday, Oct. 6," according to the unsealed arrest affidavit. On Nov. 7, he was charged with murder.
"Officers in law enforcement have gathered enough evidence in order to charge him with murder," Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Deon Cockrell said during a press conference.
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Brad Simpson "did not appear surprised at the time of his arrest" or "question" why he was being arrested, when he was apprehended Oct. 9 on charges of assault causing bodily injury, family violence and unlawful restraint for the Oct. 6 altercation with his wife, the unsealed affidavit states.
The 53-year-old suspect appeared "unconcerned about his wife being missing and showed little to no emotion," the Texas Ranger who arrested him noted.
Brad Simpson also provided police with conflicting stories, initially telling officers that he had not heard from Suzanne since Sunday, Oct. 6 at 11 p.m., and then at another point claiming the last time he saw his missing wife was on Monday, Oct. 7 around 6:30 a.m. as he was leaving to drop off their child at school. He said he had "peeked into a separate room and observed his wife asleep," according to records.
Authorities also learned that Brad Simpson intentionally "engaged in a series of…complete shutdowns" of his cellphone beginning on the night of Oct. 6 at 11:09 p.m., the same night Suzanne Simpson was last publicly seen, all the way through the next day. Law enforcement noted that Brad Simpson shut down his phone "in a manner rarely seen," referred to as "Lock Down" mode.
"FBI forensic examiners define ‘Lock Down’ as the shutdown of a cell phone done by a person who wants to avoid detection," the affidavit states.
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The Texas Ranger who arrested Brad Simpson also observed "numerous lacerations and bruises" on his hands and arms, the document adds.
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A neighbor witnessed Brad and Suzanne Simpson arguing loudly and "physically struggling" in front of his residence on the night of Oct. 6. He then observed that "Ms. Simpson was attempting to get away from Mr. Simpson's grasp as he tried to pull her downwards" and that Brad Simpson chased after his wife and was trying to grab her, according to documents.
The neighbor later heard screams coming from the wooded area across from his home, and about one hour later, he reportedly observed Brad Simpson's truck leave the area and then return about another hour later.
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The Simpsons' 5-year-old child told a school counselor that on the evening of Oct. 6, her father allegedly "pushed her mother against the wall, hit (physically) her mother on the face and hurt her mother's elbow inside their residence" and also "turned off her mother's phone because they were fighting," according to the affidavit.
Suzanne Simpson's "Find My iPhone" application showed her at her house at 10:22 p.m. on Oct. 6, which was the last location listed for her on the app.
Authorities said there are no signs of Suzanne Simpson being alive since Brad Simpson physically assaulted her on Oct. 6, and that this has been verified by her cellphone records, financial records, family, friends and co-workers.
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"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," Brad's brother, Barton Simpson, previously told Fox News Digital about the murder charge.
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"This also helps us come to terms with the reality that Suzanne is no longer with us, allowing us to begin the difficult grieving process and focus on rebuilding our lives, especially for the sake of the children and our extended family."
Brad Simpson remains in Bexar County jail, and his bond hearing has been delayed to Dec. 19.
His attorney, Steven Gilmore, is calling for an examining trial, which is a trial before a judge where evidence is presented to determine if there’s enough to move forward in the prosecution process. Gilmore could not be reached for comment.