A Texas man was arrested Monday in connection to the disappearance of his business partner’s wife, a mother of four who was reported missing earlier this month.
James Vallee Cotter, 65, was booked into jail on suspicion of tampering with evidence weeks after Suzanne Simpson, 51, was last seen at her Olmos Park home, according to information from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Olmos Park Police Department.
Authorities said that Cotter is a “business associate” of 53-year-old Brad Simpson, Suzanne Simpson’s husband, who was arrested earlier this month. Suzanne Simpson remains missing.
A neighbor reportedly told authorities that they last saw Suzanne Simpson in early October, when she was in a physical altercation with her husband. The couple had just returned from a party at a private dinner club.
Barbara Clark, Suzanne Simpson’s mother, told NBC affiliate WOAI that she’d received a phone call from her daughter on the night she was last spotted.
“My speculation is, maybe the whole thing is alcohol-related because when she got back, she called me up and told me the things that Brad had done to her physically,” Clark said, referring to the Simpsons’ altercation.
According to an arrest affidavit cited by the San Antonio Express-News, Brad Simpson sent a text message to Cotter on Oct. 8 following his wife’s disappearance. Authorities reportedly believe Cotter helped Brad Simpson hide an AK-style rifle.
The husband was soon taken into custody on suspicion of unlawful restraint and assault causing bodily injury-family violence. Court records show Brad Simpson was additionally charged with tampering/fabricating physical evidence and possession of a prohibited weapon following his business partner’s arrest. Authorities reportedly said the husband was being “uncooperative” with their investigation.
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A public defender listed as Brad Simpson’s attorney declined to comment on the allegations. Cotter does not currently have an attorney listed in court records.
Clark said she fears her daughter is no longer alive, though her family has been trying to remain positive amid her disappearance. Law enforcement conducted a search for Suzanne Simpson at a local landfill, but “no evidence was found,” according to authorities.
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