California Dad, 44, Went to a Super Bowl Party and Vanished. His Dead Body Has Since Been Found Near Levi’s Stadium

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• A California father who went missing following a Super Bowl party on Feb. 8 has been found dead near Levi’s Stadium.

• Thomas Simpkins, 44, attended a friend’s barbecue to celebrate the sporting event and disappeared shortly afterwards.

• The man was remembered as “a much-loved son, brother, husband, father and friend”

A California father was found dead days after he went missing following a murder Super Bowl party.

Thomas Simpkins, 44, attended a friend’s barbecue in San Jose to celebrate the annual sporting event on Sunday, Feb. 8, his sister Brandi Stroud said. San Francisco Chronicle.

The man is believed to have left the party and returned home at around 9pm local time the same night, but did not turn up for work the next day. Her 19-year-old son reported her missing a short time later, the outlet reported.

“Me and my brother texted a lot,” Stroud said. NBC Bay Area. “I talked to him before we went to this barbecue on February 8th.”

Six days after her disappearance, Simpkins’ body was found near Levi’s Stadium, about six miles from her home in Aquino Creek, San Tomas, the Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD) confirmed to NBC Bay Area and the Sheriff’s Office. San Francisco Chronicle.

Simpkins’ family wrote: “It is with heavy hearts that we share the unexpected passing of our beloved Tommy.” GoFundMe. “He was a beloved son, brother, husband, father and friend. His kindness, strength and unwavering love for his family touched everyone who knew him.”

Simpkins is survived by his wife, Claudia Simpkins, three stepchildren and a biological son, according to his fundraising page.

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Stroud told NBC Bay Area that he only became aware of his brother’s death “after a random lady on Facebook sent me a link” after authorities found a body behind Levi’s Stadium.

After contacting the medical examiner’s office, Stroud was able to confirm his brother’s identity through the large last name tattoo running across his back, the outlet reported.

“We have no idea who picked him up when he got home or how he got all the way to Levi’s Stadium,” Stroud told NBC Bay Area of ​​the mysterious circumstances surrounding his brother’s death. “I don’t believe my brother decided to throw himself into a creek. I have no answers when it comes to what actually happened to him.”

Stroud said before his brother’s body was found: San Francisco Chronicle He claimed there was “a huge delay” in the missing person’s case and that the incident took place across jurisdictions. He also claimed that authorities “did not take my brother’s case seriously at all.”

“I was praying that we would find him, at least if he didn’t come home alive,” Stroud said, adding that unanswered questions about Simpkins’ death remain “the part that killed my family.”

The San Jose Police Department (SJPD) said in a statement: San Francisco Chronicle, “We understand how difficult and emotional this situation is for the family. When a loved one goes missing, every moment feels critical, and we recognize the fear and frustration that uncertainty can bring. This case has never been ignored or ignored.”

The Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD), which led the investigation after Simpkins’ body was found, said, “This case was promptly investigated and investigated with the necessary protocols and investigative steps.”

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