SAN ANTONIO – James Cotter, the long-time business partner of Brad Simpson, was formally charged Monday in the case of missing Olmos Park mom Suzanne Clark Simpson.
He was indicted by a grand jury on charges of tampering with evidence with the intent to impair an investigation and possession of prohibited weapons, records with the Bexar County Jail show. The indictment was handed down from the 186th Court in Bexar County.
>> TIMELINE: Disappearance of Suzanne Clark Simpson, arrest of husband Brad Simpson
Cotter posted bond on Nov. 8 after having his bond reduced from $1 million to $100,000. Under the bond conditions, Cotter cannot have contact with Brad Simpson or have possession of a firearm. He was also fitted with a GPS monitor.
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.
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.
BACKGROUND
Brad Simpson has been charged with Suzanne Simpson’s murder. While authorities have not found Suzanne Simpson, sources said they believed they had enough evidence to charge Brad Simpson in her death.
Earlier this month, two sources told KSAT that law enforcement officials told Suzanne Simpson’s family that her DNA was found on a reciprocating saw that Brad Simpson allegedly tried to conceal.
This information became available two days after Brad Simpson was indicted on multiple charges, including murder. In the paperwork for the indictments, investigators mentioned for the first time that Brad Simpson allegedly attempted to hide a reciprocating saw.
The tool is a handheld electric saw that can be used for various applications.
Last week, a judge issued a gag order in the case, according to court documents.
Bexar County District Court Judge Joel Perez issued the court order to ensure a fair trial and not to taint the potential jury pool when the trial begins.
The ruling came the day after Simpson’s first court appearance.
Simpson is expected to be back in court on Thursday for a bond modification hearing. His next custody hearing is scheduled for April 8, 2025.
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.
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.
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