Business partner of missing Suzanne Simpson's murder suspect husband arrested, indicted after texts emerge
Brad Simpson, husband of missing Texas realtor Suzanne Simpson, remains behind bars accused of killing the 51-year-old mom of four, and his longtime business partner was formally charged this week in the investigation.
James "Val" Cotter was indicted by a grand jury on Monday on charges of tampering with evidence with the intent to impair an investigation and possession of prohibited weapons, according to records with the Bexar County Jail, KSAT reported.
Cotter, Brad Simpson's longstanding friend and business partner, is accused of hiding Simpson's gun after they exchanged a series of ominous texts on Oct. 8, just two days after his wife went missing and prior to Simpson's arrest on Oct. 9.
SUZANNE SIMPSON'S DNA FOUND ON MURDER SUSPECT HUSBAND'S SAW THAT CAN CUT METAL
"If you're in Bandera, can you haul a-- to meet me at your house?" Simpson allegedly texted, according to an affidavit. "I don't have much time."
Cotter responded, "I will be there in 40 minutes." Simpson then wrote back,"OK, make sure and leave all that s--- into the pump house, especially the gun."
"Sorry for the urgency but you're all I got especially now...social media is destroying me," Simpson allegedly added.
Later the same day, Cotter texted Simpson, "Get over here!! I won't tell anyone," followed by the text, "You're my brother."
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Cotter allegedly hid Simpson's AK-47, concealing it in the wall of his home, according to authorities. Police said the firearm, which was modified into a "machine gun," was not properly registered.
Cotter was arrested on Oct. 21 and charged with tampering with evidence and possessing a prohibited weapon, both third-degree felonies. He was released from custody last month after having his bond reduced from $1 million to $100,000, the local outlet reported.
He cannot have contact with Brad Simpson or have possession of a firearm, and he was fitted with a GPS monitor, according to the bond conditions.
Authorities have said his case is related to the investigation of Suzanne Simpson's disappearance.
Suzanne went missing on Oct. 6 after allegedly fighting with her husband of 22 years in front of their house in Olmos Park, in the San Antonio area, records show. While her body has not been recovered, authorities believe that Simpson "intentionally and knowingly caused the death" of Suzanne "on or about Sunday, Oct. 6," according to the indictments.
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A neighbor reportedly saw Simpson assault his wife the night of her disappearance and later heard screams coming from the woods nearby, while the couple's 5-year-old child told a school counselor that on the evening of Oct. 6, her father allegedly "pushed her mother against the wall, hit (physically) her mother on the face and hurt her mother's elbow inside their residence" and also "turned off her mother's phone because they were fighting," according to the affidavit.
On Nov. 7, Brad was charged with Suzanne's murder.
On Dec. 3, a Bexar County grand jury indicted Simpson on two first-degree felony charges – murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury to a family member. These charges carry a maximum punishment of life in prison. He was also indicted on charges of tampering with a corpse, two additional counts of tampering with physical evidence, and possession of a prohibited weapon.
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Suzanne's DNA was reportedly found on a "reciprocating saw," which law enforcement accuse Simpson of hiding, according to indictment records and KABB reporting.
"Knowing that an investigation was in progress, namely a missing persons investigation," Simpson "did then and there . . . conceal a thing, namely a reciprocating saw" on Oct. 8, which was two days after his wife vanished, the indictment reads.
The indictments also add that on Oct. 7 Simpson "did then and there, knowing that an offense had been committed, namely a murder, alter, destroy, and conceal a human corpse, with intent to impair its availability as evidence in a subsequent investigation related to the murder."
Authorities said there are no signs of Suzanne being alive since her husband allegedly assaulted her on Oct. 6, and that this has been verified by her cellphone records, financial records, family, friends and co-workers.