Here’s what investigators say about anonymous viral video on Hancock man’s disappearance
Several women talk about disposing of Brennan Simolke’s necklace and watch in a tape that claims to offer new evidence about the Hancock County man’s disappearance and death, but sheriff’s investigators say they heard nothing new on the video.
Sheriff Ricky Adam and Chief Investigator Glenn Grannan watched the video first thing Wednesday morning, Grannan told the Sun Herald.
“I haven’t heard anything new,” Grannan said. “There wasn’t anything (on the video) I haven’t heard before.” The video’s narrator says he will turn over evidence the anonymous group has collected to authorities.
Grannan said the sheriff’s office has not received the evidence discussed in the video.
Grannan said the sheriff’s office has put more than 1,000 man hours into an investigation since Simolke, 27, disappeared after a traffic stop on the night of July 24. He leapt from the car, investigators believe, and fled into the woods.
Simolke’s mother, Missy Simolke, told the Sun Herald that she has repeatedly watched video a motorist captured of Brennan running from the vehicle. She said that she does not believe it was him, based on the way he was moving and looked.
She is determined to bring home her son’s body. She believes he is dead and that members of the Simon City Royals are responsible. She says Brennan hung around with members of the gang but is unsure whether he was officially a member.
The video’s creator claims to be a member of the online group Anonymous who is concerned about gang activity and has interviewed people about Brennan’s disappearance. A link is included in the video to a change.org petition that calls for more state funding for fighting gang violence through a task force.
The video features a recording of alleged female members of the Simon City Royals talking about getting rid of a watch and necklace Brennan was supposedly wearing the night he was “murdered.”
The YouTube video posted Tuesday evening was viewed over 5,000 times by Wednesday afternoon. Simolke said she watched the video after it was posted.
Wednesday morning, she said, “I woke up to 500 messages and everybody and their mama ringing my phone off the hook.”
Grannan said the sheriff’s office has tracked down every lead in the case, but still does not know what happened to Brennan.
“The sheriff’s office certainly sympathizes with the family,” he said. “We look at every new piece of evidence we get. We would like to get closure.”
Anyone with information on the disappearance should call sheriff’s investigators at 228-466-6900, or anonymously give a tip to Crime Stoppers at www.mscoastcrimestoppers.com or 1-877-787-5898.
