On October 6, 2024, Suzanne Clark Simpson, a real estate agent residing in Olmos Park, Texas, attended an event with her husband, Brad Chandler Simpson, at the Argyle Club in San Antonio, where they were seen arguing. Later that evening, Suzanne reported to her mother that Brad had physically assaulted her inside their home. Meanwhile, Brad requested the suspension of Suzanne's mobile phone service. Shortly after 10:00 p.m., a neighbor witnessed the couple physically struggling in their front yard before Suzanne ran toward a wooded area, followed by Brad. Screams were heard from the woods, and Brad was subsequently seen driving away in his pickup truck. On October 7, Suzanne was reported missing by a friend, and Brad left a voicemail for police reporting her missing. Surveillance footage captured Brad moving items concealed in his truck, purchasing heavy-duty cleaning supplies, cement, and insect repellent at a Home Depot, and visiting solid waste sites. Authorities later found burned electronic devices on property owned by Brad in Bandera County, two notes on his phone expressing remorse for prior assaults, and a reciprocating saw bearing Suzanne's DNA. Brad Simpson was initially arrested on charges of unlawful restraint and assault, and on November 7, 2024, he was charged with Suzanne Simpson's murder, along with tampering with evidence and weapons charges. His business partner, James Cotter, was also charged for allegedly assisting Brad in hiding an illegally modified automatic rifle. Suzanne's body has not been recovered.
Country: United States
State/Province: Texas, United States
City/Region: Olmos Park
Incident Type: Murder
Relationship Status: Married
Relationship Duration: Approximately 22 years (marriage)
Incident Date: Oct. 6, 2024
Relationship Origins:
Relationship Stages:
Contributing Factors:
Red Flags:
Motives:
Relationship Outcomes:
How the relationship or connection began.
Approximately 22 years (marriage)
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
2024-10-06
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
English labels are shown first. Original-language titles are preserved for source verification.
Dr. Grande · Original language: English
Woman Predicts Her Death During Marriage to 'Phone-Snatching' Husband | Suzanne Simpson Analysis
Domestic Violence
The case exhibits a severe pattern of domestic violence, coercive control, and jealousy centered on communication restriction. Brad Simpson reportedly had a habit of taking or deactivating Suzanne's phone during arguments to control her contacts, along with prior physical assaults reported by Suzanne to her mother and her banker. The escalation culminated in a physical confrontation on October 6, 2024, leading to Suzanne's murder and extensive post-offense concealment efforts by the suspect.
Brad Simpson was arrested on October 9, 2024, on charges of unlawful restraint and assault, with murder charges filed on November 7, 2024, alongside charges for evidence tampering and illegal weapon possession. Law enforcement uncovered burnt electronics at a Bandera County property, recorded notes on Brad's phone detailing past assaults, surveillance video showing suspicious transportation of supplies and waste disposal, and a reciprocating saw with Suzanne's DNA. Business partner James Cotter was charged for allegedly hiding a modified automatic AK-47. Suzanne Simpson remains missing.
Brad Simpson provided contradictory statements regarding when he last saw his wife, initially telling police he last saw her at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday and later claiming he saw her at 6:30 a.m. on Monday. He also falsely claimed she lost her phone at a grocery store, despite record evidence showing he requested her phone service to be suspended while she was actively using it.
Investigating officers combined physical witness reports from neighbors and the couple's daughter, telecom records showing phone suspension during a live call, surveillance footage tracking Brad's truck across multiple counties, digital evidence on seized phones, burnt devices in a fire pit, and physical DNA evidence on a hidden saw to establish a timeline of murder and dismemberment/concealment following an escalating argument on October 6, 2024.
Prior physical assaults, aggressive phone confiscation and service suspension, escalating physical violence witnessed by neighbors and family members, and the possession of prohibited weapons indicated an exceptionally high risk of severe domestic violence and fatal escalation.
Interpersonal violence involving persistent coercive control, physical attacks, and phone monitoring represents an extreme risk factor for fatal intimate partner violence. Direct disclosures of fear by victims to informal or professional contacts (e.g., bankers, family) serve as critical warning indicators.
Suzanne disclosed past physical violence and phone confiscation to her banker two months before her disappearance and stated that if she went missing, people should look for her in a lake.
A neighbor witnessing a physical struggle in the front yard and hearing screams from nearby woods, along with video surveillance showing Brad purchasing cement, trash bags, and cleaning items, provided early critical leads.
Key evidence included AT&T logs showing phone service suspension during Suzanne's call to her mother, video surveillance of Brad's truck carrying bulk items and a blue tarp, burnt electronic devices at his property, cell phone notes labeled 'the next life', and Suzanne's DNA on a reciprocating saw.
The neighbor across the street reported seeing Brad and Suzanne physically struggling in the front yard around 10:00 p.m. on October 6, watching Suzanne run west while Brad pursued her, and later hearing screams from the woods. The couple's 5-year-old daughter told a school counselor that Brad pushed Suzanne against a wall, struck her in the face, hurt her elbow, and turned off her phone inside the house.
Initial reports treated the case as a missing person investigation with minor assault charges; follow-up forensic analyses of vehicle data, surveillance, phone notes, and DNA on a saw resulted in upgraded murder and evidence tampering charges.
Suzanne Simpson's body has not been recovered, leaving the exact location and exact physical cause of death unconfirmed.