SAN ANTONIO (Court TV) — Weeks after his wife disappeared and his arrest for assault, Brad Simpson now faces additional charges, along with his business partner, for allegedly tampering with evidence.
Brad Simpson (R) and his business partner, James Cotter (L), are facing charges after Brad’s wife, Suzanne, disappeared. (Bexar County Sheriff’s Office/Kendall County Sheriff’s Office)
Brad, who has been described as “uncooperative” by police who are investigating Suzanne Simpson’s disappearance, was initially charged with assault and unlawful restraint based on a witness’ report that the couple had a physical altercation before she disappeared.
This week, prosecutors filed new charges of tampering with evidence and possession of a prohibited weapon against Brad and his business partner, James Cotter, according to court records reviewed by Court TV.
UPDATE | Accused of wife’s murder, Brad Simpson gets more contact with kids
An arrest affidavit obtained by KSAT alleges that Brad texted Cotter on Oct. 7, one day after reporting his wife missing, “If you’re in Bandera, can you haul (expletive) to meet me at your house?” Brad sent more texts to Cotter: “OK, make sure to leave all that (expletive) in the pump house, especially that gun,” and “Sorry for the urgency but you’re all I got especially now… social media is destroying me.”
This Grand Power Stribog SP9 A3, 9×19 mm caliber rifle, serial number GSB4435, manufactured in Slovakia, was seized from Brad Simpson’s home. (U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas)
Cotter allegedly agreed to hide the rifle at his home inside of a wall, KENS reported. Detectives said the firearm had a string tied to its sight that allowed it to be retrieved from inside the wall. The same weapon appeared in a video showing the inside of a vault at the Simpson home but was missing when police searched the couple’s property on Oct. 9.
READ MORE | Police focus on ‘uncooperative’ husband’s truck after wife disappears
Brad is facing federal gun charges for a different weapon: a short-barreled rifle found during a search of his home. Federal prosecutors say the gun, which is not legal to own, was not registered. Also seized from the home were other weapons and silencers legally registered to Brad in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, a national registry maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Brad, who was granted bond on all the charges, has asked a judge to amend the conditions to allow him to have contact with his children, KSAT reported.
Police said they found two “articles” in a wooden area near the couple’s Olmos Park home in their search for Suzanne, but have not found her or her phone. Local and state police have worked together to conduct searches over the course of several days at a San Antonio landfill.
Brad’s brother has spoken out on social media about Suzanne’s disappearance, saying, “Until Brad chooses to cooperate, we will continue (to) cooperate for him, as we have from the very beginning of this heartbreaking ordeal. This is not how he was raised, and this is not who we are. … The devastation this has caused to our family is overwhelming. Brad’s refusal to cooperate is unacceptable.”
