SAN ANTONIO – A judge on Thursday significantly reduced bond for James Cotter, a business partner of Brad Simpson, whose wife Suzanne Clark Simpson has been missing since Oct. 6.
Cotter is facing two felony charges related to the investigation of Suzanne Simpson’s disappearance.
Cotter is accused of entering Brad Simpson’s gun room on Oct. 8, at his urging, and removing an AK-47 that was illegally modified and hiding it in his own home, police said. The firearm, which the feds said was modified into a “machine gun,” was not properly registered.
>> What we know about missing Olmos Park woman Suzanne Clark Simpson
Judge Miguel Najera quietly made the decision to reduce the bond without a scheduled hearing, according to court records. The move also came during the lunch hour. Cotter’s attorney said he’s in trial for a separate murder case today and could not comment.
Since Cotter’s arrest on Oct. 22, his bonds totaled $1 million. The reduction brought the total down to $100,000 -- $50,000 for each charge.
Cotter’s attorney, Robert Maurer, had asked the judge to reduce his bond, calling it unconstitutional. He derided the conditions inside the jail for Cotter.
Earlier this week, the judge delayed a decision on Cotter’s bond after an hours-long reduction hearing.
Prosecutors and Maurer agreed to the bond modification, which includes the conditions that Cotter can have no contact with Brad Simpson, cannot possess a firearm and must wear a GPS tracking device if he posts bond, according to the court records.
Cotter now awaits indictment.
KSAT asked the DA’s office to comment on the reduction: “The Bexar County Criminal District Attorney’s Office does not comment on pending criminal cases.”
BACKGROUND
Suzanne Simpson, a real estate agent and mother of four was reported missing on Oct. 7, one day after she was last seen outside her home in Olmos Park. A neighbor told police that he saw Brad and Suzanne Simpson in a physical altercation outside their home on Oct. 6, according to an arrest warrant affidavit for Brad Simpson. Earlier that day, witnesses said the couple had been in a fight at The Argyle, a dinner club in Alamo Heights.
Brad Simpson was jailed on Oct. 9 on charges of family violence and unlawful restraint but had not been charged directly with her disappearance. He was also charged with tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair, as well as a prohibited weapon-related charge. He has been behind bars ever with a total $3 million bond and a federal detainer.
Olmos Park police have said he was not cooperating with investigators.
Extensive searches, including sweeps of Olmos Park and a landfill in southeast Bexar County, have so far yielded no clues about Suzanne Simpson’s whereabouts.
Here’s a timeline of events in this case:
Sunday, Oct. 6:
- The couple attended a party at The Argyle, a private dinner club on Patterson Avenue in Alamo Heights, before returning to their home, which they share with their two children. Olmos Park Police Chief Fidel Villegas said the couple fought at that event.
- A neighbor told police that between 10-11 p.m., he heard an argument 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, an arrest warrant affidavit stated. 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 heading 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. The neighbor did not call the police but told them the account he was questioned at a later date.
Monday, Oct. 7:
- The last activity on Suzanne Simpson’s phone was around 7:15 a.m., according to police. The coordinates showed the phone was in a business parking lot in Olmos Park.
- At 3 p.m. their child’s school called Brad Simpson and advised him that their child had not been picked up, the affidavit states. Suzanne Simpson typically picks up their child from school, Brad Simpson told police, according to the affidavit. Brad Simpson told this to police late, when he reported his wife missing.
- Around 10 p.m., Brad Simpson reported his wife missing.
Tuesday, Oct. 8:
- At some point, Brad Simpson became uncooperative with investigators and failed to show up for an interview. Police learned that he relocated to his ranch in Bandera County, the affidavit stated.
- Investigators questioned Brad Simpson’s brother, Barton Simpson, who told police that Brad Simpson had called him and apologized for all the problems he had caused, the affidavit stated.
- At 4:30 p.m., police interviewed staff at the school one of their children attends. The child told staff that her parents were “fighting” and that her dad assaulted her mom and took her phone away, the affidavit states. The child also said Suzanne Simpson had a bruise on her elbow.
- Olmos Park police released a missing person flyer to news outlets around 1 p.m.
- In the afternoon/evening, neighbors and friends started to show up in the area to pass out flyers and search for Suzanne Simpson.
- At 9:50 p.m., police questioned Simpson’s neighbor, who told them what he saw on the night of Oct. 6.
Wednesday, Oct. 9:
- At 12:42 a.m., police obtained an arrest warrant for Brad Simpson on charges of assault-family violence and unlawful restraint.
- At around 1:30 a.m., the Texas Department of Public Safety and Kendall County Sheriff’s Office took Brad Simpson into custody near 542 East Mile Marker on Interstate 10, according to the sheriff.
- Brad Simpson was booked into the Kendall County Jail after 4 a.m. and his bond was later set at $1 million a charge.
>> AFFIDAVIT: Missing Olmos Park woman’s husband ‘uncooperative,’ neighbor heard screams after fight
- At 10 a.m., two of Suzanne Simpson’s friends spoke with KSAT, describing her as a good friend to them and a great mother to four children. They said they were heartbroken about her disappearance but hopeful that she would be found alive.
- Villegas held a media briefing, announcing the arrest of Brad Simpson. Villegas mentioned that investigators found two items in the woods, but he did not offer specifics. He said he was not able to determine yet whether they were connected to Suzanne Simpson. Investigators also searched the couple’s home and surrounding areas but declined to say what, if any, evidence was found.
Thursday, Oct. 10:
- In the morning, police took down the crime scene tape from outside the Simpson home and opened East Olmos to traffic again. They condensed their command post to an area within one block along East Contour.
- At 8 a.m., a detective confirmed in a phone call that investigators completed a search of the home, but he declined to offer any details on what they may have found.
- Brad Simpson was taken to the Bexar County Jail after being transferred from Kendall County.
>> Rumor mill working overtime as police put in long hours searching for missing Olmos Park woman
- Brad Simpson’s mother, who did not reveal her name, told KSAT, “I’m in total disbelief ... we are a devastated family and we do need privacy and that’s all we’re asking for because our only concern right now are these children and these grandchildren.”
- At 4 p.m., Villegas held another media briefing and released a photo from a security camera showing Suzanne Simpson outside The Argyle.
Friday, Oct. 11:
- Federal authorities placed a hold on Brad Simpson. A federal hold, or detainer, is a request from a federal agency to keep an inmate in custody or to notify the agency before his or her release.
- Authorities searched the 33000 block of I-10, near Highway 87 — about a mile away from where Brad Simpson was arrested. The search lasted from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Authorities did not say if anything of significance was found.
Saturday, Oct. 12:
- A warrant to search a southeast Bexar County landfill for any clues regarding Suzanne Simpson’s disappearance was signed after being filed under seal by the Texas DPS.
Sunday, Oct. 13:
- A prayer vigil was held for Suzanne Simpson at Lourdes Grotto on Blanco Road. Her mother, Barbra Clark, spoke at the vigil. “I just don’t understand. I don’t understand why it happened. It wasn’t part of their life,” she told KSAT.
- Barton Tinsley Simpson, Suzanne Simpson’s brother-in-law, released a new statement on social media on Sunday morning. “We are also deeply thankful to the community and to everyone who has supported and continues to support the search,” Barton Tinsley Simpson said. “To all of you who have reached out with love and encouragement, please know that your support means the world to us. We will not stop until we find her.”
Monday, Oct. 14:
- KSAT was made aware of the search happening at the landfill in southeast Bexar County, beginning KSAT’s daily coverage of the search.
- A bond hearing for Brad Simpson was canceled due to the federal hold. It had been scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 15.
Tuesday, Oct. 15:
- The search at the landfill continued.
- In an email to Olmos Park residents, Villegas revealed that evidence, statements, and further investigation led officers to the landfill.
- In a post on X, formerly Twitter, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said the Olmos Park police asked for SAPD’s help in the search. McManus said 25 cadets assisted on Tuesday.
- An affidavit revealed Brad Simpson now faces a federal charge for illegally owning a short-barreled rifle. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the affidavit. This charge is the reason Brad Simpson has a federal detainer on his release from the Bexar County Jail.
>> Brad Simpson faces federal charge for illegally owning short-barreled rifle, records show
Wednesday, Oct. 16:
- The search at the landfill continued.
- The brother of Brad Simpson, Barton Simpson, condemned his brother on social media. He released the following statement on social media:
“Until Brad chooses to cooperate, we will continue 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. Our parents instilled in us the values of honoring and protecting others, and they are truly remarkable people.
“The devastation this has caused to our family is overwhelming. Brad’s refusal to cooperate is unacceptable. My sister and brother-in-law have stepped up to take care of the children, but the impact on our parents has been shattering. Our lives have been irreparably changed.
“We will not rest until we find Suzanne.”
Barton T. Simpson
Thursday, Oct. 17:
- The search at the landfill ended. Texas DPS said they found no evidence connected to Suzanne Simpson at the site.
Saturday, Oct. 19:
- City of Olmos Park Mayor Erin Harrison said the search would resume within city limits.
- The mayor said the Olmos Park Police Department has enlisted the resources of Texas Search and Rescue, an Austin-based nonprofit organization.
- Harrison said OPPD and Texas Search and Rescue’s search for Suzanne Simpson “will now focus on the wooded areas in and around Olmos Park.” He said the department has not requested volunteers in its search for Suzanne Simpson.
Monday, Oct. 21:
- A longtime business associate of Brad Simpson was arrested on felony charges. James Valle Cotter, 65, faces felony charges of tampering with evidence with the intent to impair an investigation, Bexar County Jail records show. Jail records also show Cotter faces a felony charge of possession of prohibited weapons.
- On the same date, Brad Simpson’s attorney, Stephen Gilmore, submitted a letter to Bexar County Court No. 7 on Monday, Oct. 21 in efforts to change Simpson’s bond conditions. The letter stated that Simpson wants to visit with his children while he is in custody.
Tuesday, Oct. 22:
- Records show Brad Simpson was charged with tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair, as well as a prohibited weapon-related charge on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
- Cotter’s updated booking page removed the prohibited weapons charge during the day on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and then placed the charge back on Cotter that evening. Cotter’s bond on the felony charges has been set at $1 million, court records show.
>> Brad Simpson’s illegal ‘machine gun’ hidden by friend inside wall at Dominion home, police say
Thursday, Oct. 24:
- Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales challenged a motion to change Brad Simpson’s bond conditions. Simpson is seeking to amend bond conditions to have contact with his children. The district attorney’s office declined to comment further since the case is pending.
Friday, Oct. 25:
- James Cotter’s attorney, Robert Maurer, told KSAT Cotter has been sitting in a holding cell since his arrest on Oct. 21.
- Maurer demanded changes to his client’s conditions at the Bexar County Jail and accused District Attorney Joe Gonzales and Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar of trying to coerce Cotter into cooperating.
- Cotter appeared in front of pre-indictment court Judge Miguel Najera in an effort to get the bond amount reduced. A bond reduction hearing was set for Nov. 4.
Monday, Nov. 4:
- James Cotter had a bond hearing where Cotter’s attorney, Robert Maurer, argued for a reduction of Cotter’s $1 million bond, calling it unconstitutional.
- A decision was not made and a rescheduled date was not assigned and Cotter’s mother is expected to testify regarding his financial situation.
Tuesday, Nov. 5:
- Suzanne Simpson’s 20-year-old daughter posted a series of stories on Instagram about her mother’s disappearance and spoke out against domestic violence. One of the Instagram stories alleged that her father, Brad Simpson, “took my mother’s life in a state of rage and control.”
- The daughter thinks women within the Alamo Heights community are told to keep quiet regarding domestic violence and encourages women to make their voices heard.
Read more about the case:
