The Florida real estate tycoon charged with murdering his still-missing wife, Suzanne Simpson, was seen driving with trash bags, a heavy-duty trash can and a “large bulky item” wrapped in a blue tarp — as he searched for a dump the day after she vanished, according to a new affidavit.
Brad Simpson was seen with the suspicious load soon before he bought cement and Clorox wipes on Oct. 7, the day after his wife of 22 years was last seen fighting with him outside her Olmos Park home — followed by screams coming from the woods, according to authorities.
The morning after the alleged fight, Brad Simpson dropped off one of their four children at school and then pulled into a Whataburger in nearby Boerne around 10 a.m.
There, three white trash bags, a large heavy-duty trash can, an ice chest and a large, bulky item tied down in a blue tarp were seen in the back of his truck, according to the affidavit.
A metal firewood rack sat on top of the tarp “in a manner to conceal and weigh the tarp down,” stated the affidavit, unsealed on Tuesday afternoon.
Less than an hour later, Brad went to a Home Depot where he bought two bags of cement, a construction bucket with a lid, a box of 32-ounce heavy-duty trash bags, one bottle of Clorox disinfectant spray and insect repellent, the affidavit stated.
In the parking lot, he allegedly asked a stranger directions to the nearest dump — and then “intentionally shuts off his cellular device,” the affidavit said.
His truck was seen leaving the dump about an hour later and he drove to a gas station to fill up — with the trash bags now missing, according to the document. The now-accused murderer had also changed from sandals into work boots.
A license plate reader captured Brad’s truck heading back from Bandera County to Kendall County at around 1:40 p.m. that day, the document said. The blue tarp was no longer visible, and the firewood rack had been repositioned, it stated.
He picked up his daughter from elementary school about two hours later.
He then drove to a car wash around 4 p.m. and was filmed on security cameras washing out the front of his car — with “dried cement splashes” near the rear passenger compartment and bed, according to the affidavit.
A friend of Suzanne’s called Brad that night to ask for her. The friend later called police and reported her missing around 10 p.m. Just moments later Brad also called the police and left a message saying he had not seen his wife all day.
Brad Simpson told police that his wife lost her cell phone while they were at a party at the Argyle — a private club where the couple was seen with their daughter hours before she vanished.
While driving home from the party, Suzanne called her mother and said Brad had physically assaulted her, the mom has previously alleged.
Authorities later discovered that Suzanne’s cell phone was suspended “at the request of the subscriber” at around 9:16 p.m. on Oct. 6 — contradicting Brad’s initial statements to police.
Brad was arrested on Oct. 8 and initially charged with family violence and unlawful restraint — but the charges have since been upgraded to murder as authorities have said they are sure Suzanne is dead.
He “did not appear surprised at the time of his arrest,” the affidavit states, noting that he had cuts and bruises on his arms and hands. He also appeared “unconcerned” and “showed little emotion” about her disappearance.
Authorities executed a search warrant on the couple’s home on Oct. 9 and found three cellphones and a laptop from a burn pit. All of the phones belonged to Brad, the affidavit states.
Two notes recovered from one of the phones were titled “This next life” and “Last will and testament.” He also confessed and apologized in the notes for assaulting his wife in Aug. 2023 and again on Oct. 6.
Authorities say they also found one bag of cement, a box of heavy-duty black trash bags, a heavy-duty trash can and a metal firewood rack.
Police interviewed Suzanne’s personal banker, to whom she had allegedly confided about her husband’s physical abuse. Brad often took her cell phone away from her, the banker said.
Suzanne had allegedly told the banker that “if she went missing to look for her in a lake,” according to the affidavit.
A family friend told cops Suzanne knew her “extremely jealous” husband tracked her phone.
The affidavit also reveals details about conversations between Brad and his former business partner, James Cotter, who was arrested on Oct. 22 and charged with tampering with evidence.
Hours before Brad’s arrest, he texted Cotter: “If you’re in Bandera can you haul ass and meet me at your house?” … “I don’t have much time…”
“I will be there in 40 minutes,” Cotter wrote back.
Brad responded, “OK, make sure and leave all that s–t into the pump house, especially the gun.”
“Get over here!! I won’t tell anyone,” Cotter texted back, adding “You’re my brother.”
Cotter posted bond on Thursday after the bond amounts were significantly reduced, KSAT reported.
During a virtual court appearance for a Child Protective Services hearing on Oct. 29, Brad told the court he had last spoken to his wife around 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 6.
He also said that Suzanne was likely in Austin with her sorority sisters — because it was her happy place — before his attorney told him to stop talking, sources told KSAT.
Suzanne’s body has still not been found, despite a massive search effort at the landfill.
Brad is being held on a $5 million bond in the Bexar County jail.
