The multi-agency search for Olmos Park mother Suzanne Clark Simpson has ended after 8 hours, according to Texas Ranger Kevin Wright.
The Texas Ranger said they ended the search in the 33000 block of I-10, near Highway 87 on Friday afternoon, which started around 8 a.m. Authorities set up in a parking lot of a shopping center just off the highway.
Her husband, Brad Simpson, was arrested about a mile away from that location on Wednesday morning.
Wright said 25 to 30 people were involved in the search, but those numbers decreased throughout the day. All-terrain vehicles were also used to scour the area.
Wright said the search party ended because of hot temperatures, people and dogs are tired.
KSAT reporter John Paul Barajas asked what authorities found and why they were searching that particular area, but authorities declined to answer.
Brad Simpson was booked in the Kendall County Jail on charges of assault causing bodily injury-family violence and unlawful restraint, records show. He was transferred to the Bexar County Jail on Thursday.
Suzanne Clark Simpson’s whereabouts are still unknown after she was last seen on Sunday night.
What we know
Olmos Park Police Chief Fidel Villegas provided additional details on the disappearance of Suzanne Clark Simpson during a Thursday afternoon news conference.
During the news conference, Villegas shared a photo of a woman who DPS and Olmos Park believe is Suzanne Clark Simpson.
The picture was taken outside The Argyle, a private dinner club in Alamo Heights, Villegas said.
“We’re trying every avenue,” Villegas said. “But in the case that somebody has seen her — and she is in distress. That night, we think she was in distress. She may be somewhere, and we just don’t know about it. It’s very suspicious, though, that, obviously, she’s not going to work, and she’s not checking in on her children. So that’s an obvious problem.”
“But, at the same time, we don’t want to miss an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, this is what she looks like. Maybe somebody out there knows where she is or she’s hiding away or something.’ That’s why we’re showing you the clothing,” Villegas said.
According to Villegas, Brad Simpson continues to be uncooperative with investigators.
Two of Suzanne Simpson’s friends told KSAT they are struggling to keep a positive outlook throughout her disappearance. The two were among a group of people — many of whom live in the neighborhood — who showed up after daybreak Wednesday to help with the search.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, a neighbor told police that between 10-11 p.m. Sunday, he heard arguing outside his bedroom window that became louder and “seemed closer to his window.” When the neighbor looked out his window, he saw the Simpsons in a physical altercation, the affidavit states. He said Suzanne Clark Simpson was trying to get away from Brad Simpson as he tried to pull her down. It appeared Brad Simpson “was clearly attempting to keep Ms. Simpson from running away,” the neighbor told authorities, according to the affidavit.
The neighbor told authorities he last saw the couple walking westbound. The neighbor went outside to investigate, and a short time later, he heard two to three screams from a brushy area east of his home, the affidavit states.
About an hour later, the neighbor saw Brad Simpson start his black GMC pickup truck and leave his house. The neighbor told authorities he saw Brad Simpson return one to two hours later.
At some point, Brad Simpson went to his ranch in Bandera County and “appeared to be separating himself from his family,” the affidavit states.
Villegas said authorities are asking for tips about Brad Simpson’s 2019 black GMC Sierra and whether it was seen in a suspicious place on Sunday evening.
Olmos Park police ask for public’s help
If you have any information on Simpson’s whereabouts, contact Olmos police at one of the three following numbers:
- 210-209-2701: Detective Hector Ruiz
- 210-219-2702: Detective Melissa Campbell
- 210-822-2000: Olmos Park Dispatch
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, there is a long list of resources on KSAT’s Domestic Violence page which includes a breakdown of what abuse is, and how it builds gradually.
If you are in crisis, you can:
- call or text 911
- call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233
- call the local Family Violence Prevention Services, which runs the shelter (Crisis Number: 210-733-8810, Programs and Administration: 210-930-3669)
- call the Bexar County Family Justice Center at 210-631-0100.