Podcast Summary

Podcast: Drop Dead Serious with Ashleigh Banfield
Episode: Texas Murder Mystery Deepens: Suzanne Simpson’s Sister ARRESTED & Hubby Brad Simpson Still Locked Up
Date: October 9, 2025
Host: Ashleigh Banfield

Episode Overview

Ashleigh Banfield explores the ongoing mystery of Suzanne Simpson’s disappearance, a high-profile Texas murder case. One year after the realtor and mother of four vanished, her husband Brad Simpson remains in jail, accused of murder despite Suzanne’s body never being found. In a shocking development, Suzanne’s sister Teresa has now been arrested—but not in connection to Suzanne’s disappearance. Banfield dissects the intricate threads of grief, justice, and family conflict swirling around this case, drawing on both investigative journalism and poignant personal insights.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background of the Case

Suzanne Simpson, a revered San Antonio realtor and mother of four, disappeared on October 6, 2024.
Husband Brad Simpson reported her missing, claiming she went for a walk and never returned, but suspicious details emerged:
- Her phone went silent,
- Luxury SUV parked at home,
- No signs of voluntary departure.
Blood evidence and DNA were found, including on a power saw linked to Brad Simpson.
Brad was arrested and charged with murder, weapons offenses, and tampering with evidence, but Suzanne’s body remains missing.

“Her life looked perfect until the night it shattered on October 6, 2024… Prosecutors say he killed his wife, dismembered her body, and then tried to cover his tracks. But… Suzanne still hasn’t been found.”
(Ashleigh Banfield, 00:36)

2. Family Turmoil and Emotional Fallout

Suzanne’s family, especially her sister Teresa, is described as devastated and desperate for justice.
Flashbacks to early days of the investigation capture raw emotion:

“I knew as soon as I heard that my sister had been missing for 16 hours that she was no longer with us… She has a lot of responsibilities and she doesn’t go missing for more than an hour or two. So I knew right away that my sister was no longer with us.”
(Teresa, 04:39)

3. Chilling Clues and Forensic Findings

Witnesses reported a violent altercation the night Suzanne vanished, followed by screams and then silence.
Brad Simpson was seen on surveillance, buying cleaning supplies and hauling containers in his truck.
Police found:
- Burned laptop,
- Destroyed cellphones,
- Electric saw with Suzanne’s DNA.
Brad's behavior (showing “little emotion”) is repeatedly noted as troubling.

4. Brad's Continued Detention

Brad has been in jail for nearly a year without bail ($3 million set).
Trial set for February.
He continues to assert his innocence.

5. Teresa Simpson’s Arrest: The Sister’s Struggle

Teresa arrested for misdemeanor harassment—NOT for involvement in Suzanne’s disappearance.
Details from reporter Sig Christensen:
- Accused of harassing Brad’s family via repeated late-night calls, accusatory and threatening in message.
- Charges carry possible 180 days in jail and/or a $2,000 fine.

“She apparently has been accused of harassing a number of people in his family… At the moment, that’s a $2,000 fine, 180 days in jail, maybe both. It’s a misdemeanor like a DWI here in Texas.”
(Sig Christensen, 05:48)

“They were getting phone calls… the messages ran from several seconds to several minutes long… Frequently Clark accused the Simpsons of 'killing her sister,' and said 'they do not know who they are messing with'… warned… they would 'not get away with this.'”
(Sig Christensen, 08:03)

Teresa's actions seen as stemming from overwhelming anger and grief.
No indication she and Brad are housed in the same jail.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Missing Body Cases:

“If someone says no body, no murder, you can tell them bullshit. Because plenty of convictions have come when the body never surfaced.”
(Ashleigh Banfield, 09:42)
Impact on the Simpson Children:

“What’s sad here is that Suzanne’s children are growing up without their mom and now without their dad too, since he’s locked up and might very well be locked up for life.”
(Ashleigh Banfield, 09:42)
On the Pursuit of Justice:

“Suzanne deserves to be found and her family deserves justice.”
(Ashleigh Banfield, 09:42)

Important Segment Timestamps

00:36–02:30: Banfield’s narrative recap, disappearance timeline, and initial impressions.
04:39–05:13: Emotional interview with Teresa Simpson.
05:48–09:09: Interview with Sig Christensen:
- Teresa’s arrest details,
- Misdemeanor context,
- Ongoing investigation.
09:42-end: Reflections on justice, effect on the Simpson children and broader true crime discussion.

Conclusion & Tone

Ashleigh Banfield’s tone is empathetic, irreverent, and deeply invested, both as a journalist and a member of the true crime community. The episode closes with a pledge to keep following the case for Suzanne’s family and a call for public involvement and commentary.

Summary:
This episode delivers a timely and gripping update on Suzanne Simpson’s still-unsolved disappearance, now compounded by the emotionally fraught arrest of her sister Teresa. Banfield weaves interviews, investigation updates, and personal perspective into an engrossing narrative about grief, justice, and the stubborn persistence of those left behind.

Transcript

A (0:00)

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B (0:36)

Hey, everybody, I'm Ashley Banfield and this is drop dead serious. Suzanne Simpson wasn't just another missing mom. She was the mom that everybody wanted to be. She was beautiful and stylish and successful. A San Antonio real estate agent who made juggling motherhood and million dollar listings look effortless. Her life looked perfect until the night it shattered on October 6, 2024. That's one year ago this week. I'm recording this on October 8, 2025. But a year ago, Suzanne's husband, Brad Simpson, said that Suzanne just disappeared with no note, no goodbye, no trace. Her phone went silent. Her luxury SUV was parked neatly at the home. And that same husband told police that she'd just gone for a walk. But investigators say what really happened at that house was anything but peaceful. Days after Suzanne disappeared, detectives found blood evidence and eventually DNA. Suzanne's DNA on a power saw linked to her husband, Brad. Prosecutors say he killed his wife, dismembered her body, and then tried to cover his tracks. But here's an even more chilling part. Suzanne still hasn't been found. Brad Simpson was arrested and charged with murder in connection with her presumed death, along with weapons offenses and tampering with evidence. And that husband, Brad, is still sitting in a jail cell awaiting trial, insisting that he's innocent. He couldn't raise the $3 million in bail money, but you can imagine that this has been hell for Suzanne's family. A year later, her body still hasn't been found. And Brad is not coughing up any details in jail before his trial this February. And that leads me to another shocking turn of events in this very sad story. There's been another arrest in connection with Suzanne's murder. Another family member arrested and taken to jail. It's Suzanne's sister, Teresa. But she wasn't arrested for anything she did to Suzanne. A little background here. One year ago this week, Suzanne Simpson's neighbors saw something that they will never be able to unsee. Suzanne was screaming and fighting with her husband out in front of the house. It was late in the evening. But soon the screaming could be heard from the woods nearby. And then everything went silent. Suzanne was never seen or heard from again, which is a big deal considering the 51 year old realtor was the mother of four kids. But her husband, Brad Simpson, he's been seen a lot. Oh, like a lot a lot. First on video, buying lots of cleaning supplies and carting around strange containers in the back of his truck until suddenly those strange containers were gone, too. Here's what the arrest affidavit said, that Brad Simpson spent the day after Suzanne vanished, driving to multiple locations around San Antonio with trash bags and a tarp loaded in the back of his truck. When detectives later searched his property, they say they found a burned laptop, several destroyed cell phones and an electric handheld saw. And when police finally arrested Brad on October 9th of 2024, they noted something chilling in their report, that he showed, quote, little emotion when questioned about his missing wife. Next, Brad was seen in mugshots after being arrested for the murder of Suzanne. And understandably, a lot of this has gotten under the skin of Suzanne's family. I spoke with Suzanne's sister Teresa last November when the murder investigation was still very, very fresh.