SAN ANTONIO – Judge Joel Perez on Tuesday denied a motion to dismiss part of the murder indictment against Brad Simpson.
Simpson, who is accused in the disappearance and presumed murder of his wife, Suzanne Clark Simpson, has been in custody since Oct. 9, days after his wife disappeared from the couple’s Olmos Park home.
Tuesday’s hearing happened a week after his defense team withdrew parts of their motion to quash his murder indictment. They narrowed their challenge to only a specific portion of the indictment — Paragraph B — which they claim is too vague.
Perez denied that motion on Tuesday.
During the April 22 hearing, defense attorney Steven Gilmore said, “If you are going to allege an act clear and dangerous to human life, they need to know what that act is.”
Gilmore argued that the state cannot prove the act alleged in that section without knowing the specifics.
Prosecutors pushed back. They said the absence of a body does not prevent them from pursuing the case.
“We don’t have a benefit of a body for a medical examiner to examine, but that doesn’t prohibit us from filing this case,” said prosecutor Casey Sandoval.
Simpson’s full court appearance from April 22 can be seen below.
Background
Suzanne Simpson, an Olmos Park mother of four, was last seen at a party at The Argyle on Oct. 6. However, it wasn’t until around 10 p.m. on Oct. 7 that Brad Simpson reported her missing.
Investigators said the couple was involved in a dispute with one another the night of Suzanne Simpson’s disappearance.
On Nov. 7, investigators charged Brad Simpson with the murder of his wife.
Brad Simpson’s business partner, James Cotter, has also been charged in connection with the case.
Cotter is accused of helping Brad Simpson hide an AK-47 that was illegally modified. Authorities said the firearm was modified into a “machine gun” that was not correctly registered.
Surveillance footage gathered by investigators showed Brad Simpson driving with three large trash bags, a heavy-duty trash can and a “large bulky item” wrapped in a blue tarp the day after her disappearance, an arrest warrant affidavit previously revealed.
Investigators told reporters in November that they believe Suzanne Simpson is dead and that her remains could be in the Bandera area, but they have not provided an update since that time.
Brad Simpson has shown “little emotion” about his wife’s disappearance and is not cooperating with investigators, law enforcement previously told KSAT.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter
More recent Brad Simpson coverage on KSAT:
