As law enforcement continue to search for the remains of Texas realtor Suzanne Simpson, who disappeared over two months ago, her husband, Brad Simpson, appeared in court this week after the mother of four's DNA was reportedly found on a "reciprocating saw" that he is accused of hiding.
On Dec. 3, a Bexar County grand jury indicted the 53-year-old suspect on multiple felony charges related to the murder of his wife, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital. He made his first appearance since being accused of his wife's murder during a brief hearing on Monday, Dec. 9 in a San Antonio courtroom.
Simpson was indicted 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.
"We would like to extend our appreciation to the numerous investigating agencies committed to seeking justice for Suzanne Simpson," Bexar County Criminal District Attorney Joe Gonzales wrote in a press release. "We extend our deep sympathies to the family of Suzanne Simpson as we move forward in the pursuit of justice."
"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.
Authorities informed family members that Suzanne’s DNA had been identified on the "reciprocating saw," mentioned in the indictment, according to KABB.
Reciprocating saws are the "ultimate demolition tool" and "allow you to cut through some of the most difficult materials," including wood, hard plastic and even metal, according to Pro Tool and & Supply.
Suzanne, 51, 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 five-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.
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.
On Nov. 7, Simpson was charged with Suzanne's murder.
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Investigators tracked Simpson's unusual behavior in the days after his wife vanished, including shutting down his phone, driving with suspicious items in the bed of his truck, going to a dump site, and cleaning his truck at a car wash.
"It seems like the circumstantial evidence is fairly strong, from what I've seen," Texas criminal defense attorney Sam Bassett told Fox News Digital. "The combination of . . . a witness hearing a lady scream, combined with this evidence of his vehicle being moved around. There's some videotapes, some GPS data . . . I think it's a strong prosecution's circumstantial case at this point."
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The indictments reveal new details about Simpson's alleged method of murder and his actions after the fact.
The aggravated assault charge accuses Simpson of using or exhibiting "a deadly weapon…and an object unknown to the grand jury, that in the manner of its use and intended use was capable of causing death and seriously bodily injury."
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."
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Simpson originally had an examining trial scheduled, but the hearing was canceled after the grand jury indictment. The motion for the examining trial was filed by Simpson’s attorney, Steven Gilmore, which would have required prosecutors to share any evidence they’ve gathered.
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An examining trial may "force the hand of the prosecution a little bit," Bassett explained. "It forces them to get the case indicted . . . most prosecutors will respond to a request for an examining trial by just taking the case to the grand jury sooner than they would have otherwise."
Gilmore has filed a motion, obtained by Fox News Digital, to quash the indictments filed against his client, arguing that the information in the indictments is "vague, indefinite, ambiguous, uncertain" and "does not set forth in plain and intelligible language the offense charged against [Simpson]."
Brad Simpson remains in Bexar County jail, and his next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 19. His attorney did not have further comment.
