Two men are accused of concealing Simpson’s remains, but authorities have not charged anyone with causing her death.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The family of Amber Simpson is asking that the Kansas City mother and grandmother be remembered for her humor and generosity as investigators work to determine how she died and why her remains were found on rural property nearly 90 miles from home.
Authorities identified skeletal remains recovered near Nelson as those of Simpson, 41, more than two months after her disappearance. Two men have been charged with abandoning a corpse and tampering with physical evidence, but investigators have not announced a homicide charge or publicly identified the person responsible for her death.
Simpson’s daughter Hayley Rhymer described her mother as someone who welcomed people into her home and tried to help those who needed support. Rhymer told FOX4 that Simpson “loved everybody” and made it clear that others were welcome around her.
Relatives also spoke openly about Simpson’s struggle with addiction while urging the public not to let that struggle define her life. Rhymer said her mother remained present in the lives of her children and grandchildren and called her the funniest person she knew.
Another daughter said the circumstances surrounding Simpson’s death should not overshadow her humanity. She told FOX4 that Simpson did not deserve what happened to her and asked people to remember that she was a person with a family who loved her.
Kansas City police began investigating after Simpson was reported missing in early June. Authorities have released conflicting dates for when she was last seen, with public accounts placing the last sighting at different points in May. Police have continued asking for information from anyone who had contact with her around the time she disappeared.
The investigation moved to Saline County after police received an anonymous tip, according to probable cause statements. The tip allegedly said Simpson had been killed and her body burned May 28 at property in the Nelson area. Investigators have not publicly confirmed all parts of that account.
Authorities searched the property June 18. A cadaver-detection dog alerted officers to a burn pile behind a residence, where investigators found human bones. A forensic anthropologist from the University of Missouri assisted with the recovery and concluded that the bones had been exposed to prolonged or repeated burning, according to court records described by news organizations.
The Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory later identified the remains through DNA testing. Police publicly confirmed the identification in late July and said detectives were handling the case as an active death investigation.
Damon A. Thomason, 54, who owns the property, and Felix L. Watson Jr., 30, are charged in Saline County with abandonment of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. The charges accuse them of conduct connected to the remains, not Simpson’s death itself.
Investigators allege that Thomason eventually acknowledged seeing what appeared to be a large human bone in the burn area and telling Watson to clean it up. Thomason also claimed that Watson helped burn the body and that another woman was responsible for Simpson’s death, according to accounts of his statement. No woman has been publicly charged.
Watson allegedly told officers that other people arrived at the property with Simpson but said he did not know what they intended to do. He denied paying attention to the burn area and requested an attorney during questioning, according to published accounts of the probable cause documents.
The statements attributed to both men are allegations and have not been proven in court. Publicly available reporting did not identify attorneys or pleas for them as of Aug. 5.
Kansas City detectives are working with prosecutors in Jackson and Saline counties as they examine Simpson’s final movements, the events at the Nelson property and the possible involvement of other people. Her cause and manner of death have not been publicly released.
For Simpson’s family, the criminal investigation is only one part of the loss. Their public comments have focused on preserving a fuller picture of her life — a mother and grandmother remembered for opening her home, helping others and making her family laugh.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 5, 2026.