SAN ANTONIO — A judge has drastically reduced the bonds for Brad Simpson's longtime business associate, James Cotter, after attorneys argued called the extent of them "unconstitutional."
Cotter was arrested on Oct. 21 after he allegedly hid Simpson's AK-47 in his home while law enforcement was bearing down on Simpson in the aftermath of his wife's disappearance. Suzanne Simpson has been missing since Oct. 6, when she disappeared from her Olmos Park neighborhood north of downtown San Antonio.
Cotter faces charges of prohibited weapons and tampering with evidence. His bonds initially totaled $1 million – $500,000 for each of his two counts – before Bexar County Judge Miguel Najera lowered that amount to $100,000 total, according to online court records.
Should he be released on bond, Cotter will have to wear a GPS monitor and would be forbidden from possessing firearms.
Attorneys argued on Cotter's behalf in court earlier this week, asking that his bonds be reduced to $50,000 total on the basis that he isn't a flight risk. His financial situation also came into question Monday, leading to plans to have Cotter's family testify on his behalf.
'This is the time to speak'
Brad Simpson is also jailed on several charges, including unlawful restraint, assault and tampering with evidence. An Olmos Park neighbor told investigators she saw the couple in a struggle outside their home on Oct. 6 before hearing screams nearby. That same neighbor also reported seeing Brad, 53, driving away in his truck before returning an hour or two later.
Authorities have yet to directly link him to his wife's disappearance, however, and a month of searching has so far yielded no evidence about what may have happened to Suzanne, 51.
The couple's adult daughter, however, believes her father took her mother's life in "a state of rage and control." In a series of social media posts this week, 20-year-old Chandler Simpson said she believes Suzanne was no longer alive.
Chandler said her mother was trying to leave an abusive relationship.
"In our community this should not be happening and I will not stop speaking as the voice of my mother until she is found," she wrote on her Instagram Stories feed. "Shame on my community for not speaking about domestic violence, within alamo heights (sic) women are marginalized by society and misogyny everyday and are told to keep their mouths shut. THIS IS THE TIME TO SPEAK. SPEAK FOR MY MOM. SPEAK FOR YOURSELF."