Brad Simpson, husband of lacking Texas realtor Suzanne Simpson, stays behind bars accused of killing the 51-year-old mother of 4, and his longtime enterprise companion was formally charged this week within the investigation.
James “Val” Cotter was indicted by a grand jury on Monday on expenses of tampering with proof with the intent to impair an investigation and possession of prohibited weapons, in line with data with the Bexar County Jail, KSAT reported.
Cotter, Brad Simpson’s longstanding pal and enterprise companion, is accused of hiding Simpson’s gun after they exchanged a sequence of ominous texts on Oct. 8, simply two days after his spouse went lacking and previous to Simpson’s arrest on Oct. 9.
“If you’re in Bandera, can you haul a– to meet me at your house?” Simpson allegedly texted, in line with an affidavit. “I don’t have much time.”
Cotter responded, “I will be there in 40 minutes.” Simpson then wrote again,”OK, be certain and go away all that s— into the pump home, particularly the gun.”
“Sorry for the urgency but you’re all I got especially now…social media is destroying me,” Simpson allegedly added.
Later the identical day, Cotter texted Simpson, “Get over here!! I won’t tell anyone,” adopted by the textual content, “You’re my brother.”
Cotter allegedly hid Simpson’s AK-47, concealing it within the wall of his dwelling, in line with authorities. Police stated the firearm, which was modified right into a “machine gun,” was not correctly registered.
Cotter was arrested on Oct. 21 and charged with tampering with proof and possessing a prohibited weapon, each third-degree felonies. He was launched from custody final month after having his bond lowered from $1 million to $100,000, the native outlet reported.
He can’t have contact with Brad Simpson or have possession of a firearm, and he was fitted with a GPS monitor, in line with the bond situations.
Authorities have stated his case is said to the investigation of Suzanne Simpson’s disappearance.
Suzanne went lacking on Oct. 6 after allegedly combating together with her husband of twenty-two years in entrance of their home in Olmos Park, within the San Antonio space, data present. Whereas her physique has not been recovered, authorities consider that Simpson “intentionally and knowingly caused the death” of Suzanne “on or about Sunday, Oct. 6,” in line with the indictments.
A neighbor reportedly noticed Simpson assault his spouse the evening of her disappearance and later heard screams coming from the woods close by, whereas the couple’s 5-year-old baby informed a college counselor that on the night 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 in addition “turned off her mother’s phone because they were fighting,” in line with the affidavit.
On Nov. 7, Brad was charged with Suzanne’s homicide.
KSAT
On Dec. 3, a Bexar County grand jury indicted Simpson on two first-degree felony expenses – homicide and aggravated assault with a lethal weapon inflicting critical bodily harm to a member of the family. These expenses carry a most punishment of life in jail.
He was additionally indicted on expenses of tampering with a corpse, two extra counts of tampering with bodily proof, and possession of a prohibited weapon.
Suzanne’s DNA was reportedly discovered on a “reciprocating saw,” which legislation enforcement accuse Simpson of hiding, in line with indictment data and KABB reporting.
“Knowing that an investigation was in progress, namely a missing persons investigation,” Simpson “did then and there . . . conceal a thing, namely a reciprocating saw” on Oct. 8, which was two days after his spouse vanished, the indictment reads.
The indictments additionally add that on Oct. 7 Simpson “did then and there, knowing that an offense had been committed, namely a murder, alter, destroy, and conceal a human corpse, with intent to impair its availability as evidence in a subsequent investigation related to the murder.”
Authorities stated there are not any indicators of Suzanne being alive since her husband allegedly assaulted her on Oct. 6, and that this has been verified by her cellphone data, monetary data, household, buddies and associates.
