BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – Brad Simpson, the man accused of murder in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Suzanne, last year, appeared in a Bexar County courtroom on Monday morning.
Simpson walked into the courtroom at 10:11 a.m.
Simpson’s full Monday court appearance can be seen below.
During the hearing, Simpson’s defense attorney Steven Gilmore requested an update on evidence presented to a grand jury related to the murder case.
If any evidence was presented to a grand jury, Judge Joel Perez ruled Monday that that evidence also be presented to the court.
“If there’s nothing, there’s nothing,” Perez said. “And, if there is, just present it.”
Gilmore also asked the court for a “discovery deadline,” related to law enforcement’s gathering of evidence.
The prosecution said law enforcement’s investigation remains ongoing, with searches continuing next week. The state is also expecting a “thumb drive” of evidence from the Texas Rangers on Thursday.
According to the prosecution, the Texas Rangers asked for Aug. 1 as a “deadline to certify the evidence from their agency.”
Gilmore said the defense had hoped for a new deadline date “within 30 days,” in part, because he claims he has not received any new reports from the Olmos Park Police Department for approximately “six months.”
Perez also ruled that the Texas Rangers and the Olmos Park Police Department must “comply” with the discovery request by Aug. 1.
Simpson’s next hearing date is also tentatively scheduled for Aug. 1.
Simpson is accused in connection with the disappearance and presumed murder of Suzanne Clark Simpson. He has been in custody since Oct. 9, days after his wife disappeared from the couple’s Olmos Park home.
Simpson was last in court in late April, where Perez denied a motion to dismiss part of Simpson’s murder indictment.
His defense team claimed a portion of the indictment was “too vague.”
Perez denied the motion.
Background
Suzanne Simpson, an Olmos Park mother of four, was last seen at a party at The Argyle on Oct. 6. However, it wasn’t until around 10 p.m. on Oct. 7 that Brad Simpson reported her missing.
Investigators said the couple was involved in a dispute with one another the night of Suzanne Simpson’s disappearance.
On Nov. 7, investigators charged Brad Simpson with the murder of his wife.
Brad Simpson’s business partner, James Cotter, has also been charged in connection with the case.
Cotter is accused of helping Brad Simpson hide an AK-47 that was illegally modified. Authorities said the firearm was modified into a “machine gun” that was not correctly registered.
Surveillance footage gathered by investigators showed Brad Simpson driving with three large trash bags, a heavy-duty trash can and a “large bulky item” wrapped in a blue tarp the day after her disappearance, an arrest warrant affidavit previously revealed.
Investigators told reporters in November that they believe Suzanne Simpson is dead and that her remains could be in the Bandera area, but they have not provided an update since that time.
Brad Simpson has shown “little emotion” about his wife’s disappearance and is not cooperating with investigators, law enforcement previously told KSAT.
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