Thomas Simpkins: How did Santa Clara man die after Super Bowl? New details emerge

Simpkins went to the BBQ on February 8th, and on February 9th, super bowl He was reported missing that day. His sister, Brandi Stroud, claimed he returned home from an Uber around 9 p.m.

Simpkins was found in the San Tomas Aquino Creek adjacent to 49ers Stadium on the afternoon of Feb. 14, according to Stroud, Santa Clara police and the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner’s Office.

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The Santa Clara Police Department said the cause and manner of death have not yet been determined. The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the case is being reviewed as a possible homicide and further investigation is underway.

Simpkins’ family said he took an Uber ride home from a friend’s barbecue in South San Jose the night he disappeared.

According to Stroud, she learned of her brother’s death on Feb. 14 when a woman called her and shared a video of a scanner exchange that showed officials finding a body in a creek below Levi’s Stadium, home of the Super Bowl, six days earlier.

When she called the medical examiner’s office, Stroud recognized the man as her brother because he had a tattoo on his left shoulder blade that read “Simpkins.”

He did not attend the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium and was reported missing when he failed to show up for work the next day and could not be reached.

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After traveling to the Bay Area from Oregon, Stroud and her spouse began a desperate search, posting flyers and using social media.

She said she hiked in Santa Clara and San Jose in an effort to find him before he disappeared.

Simpkins’ sister expressed frustration with law enforcement’s slow response and the confusion over jurisdiction between Santa Clara and San Jose police. “It took a long time. They didn’t take my brother’s case seriously at all,” she said.

Santa Clara police countered: “This case was not delayed and was investigated in accordance with established protocols and investigative steps.”

Stroud said her brother was well-liked and devoted to his family, especially his 19-year-old son, with whom he often played basketball. She described him as a “hard-working dad” who was an important part of his children’s lives.