SAN ANTONIO — The husband of a San Antonio-area woman missing since Sunday night is being booked into the Bexar County jail after he was arrested in Kendall County earlier this week.
Brad Simpson, 53, faces charges of domestic violence and unlawful restraint. An Olmos Park neighbor told police he saw Brad and his wife, Suzanne, involved in a physical altercation the night she went missing. His bonds total $2 million.
Authorities, however, have not definitively connected him with the disappearance of his wife, which police said he reported 24 hours later. They're asking for the public's help in ironing out where his black truck, pictured below, was on the evening of Sunday, Oct. 6, as well as the days prior.
Latest in the search
Authorities on Thursday also released a new photo taken the night Simpson disappeared, from outside the Argyle where she and her husband were attending a party hours before. The Olmos Park police chief said it's their hope someone will remember seeing Simpson in that black dress and heels, and call authorities.
Meanwhile, Police Chief Fidel Villegas said that while there's "nothing concrete" to indicate she's dead, they're pursuing every possible avenue for signs of where she might be.
"We think she was in distress," Villegas said. "She may be somewhere and we don’t know about her. It’s very suspicious, though, that she’s not going to work and she’s not checking in on her children."
Villegas added police have found "possible evidence" in their investigation, including from inside the Simpson residence along East Olmos Drive, but it has yet to be fully analyzed. Search warrants are also being sought so Olmos Park police can access electronic records, and the chief said other properties were being searched, but he wouldn't specify where.
He also said that while Brad Simpson hasn't cooperated with the investigation, other members of the Simpson family are.
"These four kids miss their mom," Villegas said. "We’re doing everything we can.”
At this time, he added, there's no evidence suggesting authorities might upgrade Brad Simpson's charges. He said it isn't uncommon for female victims in domestic violence situations to physically remove themselves from the situation, but said it was "unusual" that Suzanne Simpson would drop all contact.
"(She) was very dependable and loved her children and was always in contact with her children and her family and her friends. Suddenly that stopped after Sunday night.”
Family reacts
Suzanne Simpson's brother-in-law, meanwhile, said in a Facebook post that he appreciated "the outpouring of support" directed at the family as the search for her continues. Barton Simpson said relatives were fully cooperating with law enforcement.
"Our first priority is to find her and bring her home," he wrote. "Our second priority is to surround her children with love and ensure they are protected during this incredibly difficult time. We are desperately seeking answers and pleading for anyone with information to come forward."
The search for Suzanne turned into a visibly large and concentrated effort Tuesday night, when Texas Rangers and the Department of Public Safety started helping to search the area near the Simpsons' home. Close friends have described the woman and local real estate agent as someone who is kind and loved by many.
"We are aligned in wanting answers and resolution," Barton Simpson went on to write. "Anyone with information is urged to contact the Olmos Park Police Department. Your help could make all the difference."
The bio page on Suzanne's employer's website has been updated to say the "Nix Realty family is devastated by her disappearance and the reports of physical violence towards her. Along with so many others who Suzanne, we will continue to pray for her."