‘Look for her in a lake’: Here’s what accused murderer Brad Simpson did the morning after he allegedly killed his wife

Content warning: This article mentions intimate partner violence. Please take care while reading.

According to his arrest warrant affidavit, the morning after his wife disappeared, Brad Simpson dropped his kid off at school and stopped at a Whataburger for a bite to eat with large trash bags, a trash can, and a “large bulky item” wrapped in a blue tarp in the bed of his truck.

Suzanne Simpson, Brad’s wife, was last seen with Brad on the evening of Oct. 6 at The Argyle, a private dinner club in Alamo Heights, an affluent area near San Antonio, TX. Suzanne, 51, was a successful, high-end real estate agent. Brad, 53, is a wealthy real estate developer in San Antonio.

After she and her husband had dinner at The Argyle, the Simpsons’ neighbor reported Brad and Suzanne screaming outside their home as Brad tried to physically stop Suzanne from leaving the property, the neighbor said.

The neighbor also heard shouting a bit further away in a brushy area near their home between 10 and 11pm. In a phone call only about an hour before the verbal altercation, Suzanne reportedly told her mother that Brad was physically abusing her.

Brad reported Suzanne missing the next day, but only after one of her friends contacted the police first. Police say they believe Suzanne is dead, and Brad has now been charged with killing her.

A school drop-off and a burger

The next morning, Brad, 53, dropped his child off at school around 8am with trash bags and an ice chest in the bed of his pickup truck, the affidavit states. Surveillance cameras also captured Brad at a Whataburger fast food location about an hour later with the trash can, ice chest, and a large bulky item wrapped in a blue tarp, weighed down by a metal rack as if to keep the tarp hidden.

According to Texas law enforcement, Brad then stopped at Home Depot to purchase bags of cement, more trash bags, a bucket, Clorox, and insect repellant. In the Home Depot parking lot, Brad asked for directions to a nearby dump, police say, and then put his phone in “lockdown” mode. He was later seen leaving the dump. He made several other stops that day.

Brad picked up his kid from school at around 3:30pm. The blue tarp and metal rack were gone, but police found a trash can and ice chest in Brad’s home. Brad said he was only aware his wife was missing when the school called, telling him Suzanne never picked their child up.

“Look for her in a lake”

Also detailed in Brad’s arrest warrant affidavit, Suzanne had a conversation with her personal banker in August, just weeks before she was last seen, telling him if she disappeared, authorities should search for her in a lake. The affidavit also states while searching the Simpsons’ home, they found a burn pit in the backyard where Brad’s laptop and three cell phones were destroyed.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Brad also contradicted himself, telling police he last saw Suzanne on the evening of Oct. 6. He later said he saw her sleeping in another room on the morning of Oct. 7.

When Brad’s arrest warrant affidavit was revealed, Suzanne’s body had not been found. In the weeks after she vanished, San Antonio police searched an area landfill, stating they were confident they would find her remains. However, the search came up empty, WOAI San Antonio reported.

Brad was initially arrested three days after Suzanne was last seen on prohibited weapons possession-related charges, evidence tampering, unlawful restraint, and bodily injury.

At that time, police said at the time there was no evidence to suggest he was involved in Suzanne’s disappearance. Brad was charged with Suzanne’s murder last week.

Brad’s former business partner, James Valle Cotter, was also arrested related to the case, accused of assisting Brad with disposing of an illegally modified gun, which may have been involved in Suzanne’s death.

After Brad’s arrest warrant affidavit was revealed, Suzanne’s brother, Barton Simpson, told Texas news outlet KSAT, “It is heartbreaking, but it brings our family some peace to know that authorities have gathered sufficient evidence to feel confident in moving forward with charges.”

In a series of Instagram posts, Brad and Suzanne’s daughter, Chandler Simpson, 20, alleged, “My mom was a victim of abuse from my father. My father took my mother’s life in a state of rage and control. My mother tried to leave my father and lost her life,” according to the New York Post.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788