Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman released new information this afternoon regarding the home-invasion homicide of 23-year old Brett Simmons, a Clay Township man who was fatally shot last September 25 in his home at 580 Clearview Road.  His father, James, was shot when he went to his son’s aid, and survived a chest wound. There have been no arrests in the case despite an ongoing investigation.

“Police and DA Stedman, gleaming from intelligence gained in the investigation, believe drugs played a role in the crime and robbery was a potential motive,” reads a release received by LititzDailyNews.com from the District Attorney’s office minutes ago. “Nothing was determined to be missing from the home; items appeared undisturbed.”

The release goes on to give details of the investigation, including new information that a party was held at the home a week prior to the shooting. According to the release, the District Attorney is hoping to generate renewed interest in the case and promote new tips from those who may have information that could lead to an arrest of those responsible for Simmon’s death.

Specifically, the police hope to speak with anyone who might have heard others talking about the crimes and/or discussing who was responsible. Tips can be made anonymously to the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police or to CrimeStoppers.

  • Northern Lancaster County Regional police: 717-733-0965
  • Lancaster City/County CrimeStoppers: 800-322-1913, or you can Text a Tip to CrimeStoppers from your cellphone. Text LANCS plus your message to 847411

So far, police have interviewed approximately 160 individuals, some of whom have been inverviewed more than once. According to police, the only witnesses to the crimes were present in the home that night: the Simmons family (James and Lori Simmons, Brett’s parents, and Brett’s two brothers), according to the DA’s release today.

According to the DA’s office, James Simmons reported that he heard commotion in Brett’s bedroom and initially assumed it was the two older brothers fighting. He went to the bedroom and found Brett wounded on the floor and two males in the room. The two males were wearing some sort of clothing to disguise their faces; not traditional masks. James struggled with the males, and was shot once. A second shot was fired, just missing James. The masked males fled down the stairs. Blake Simmons, a brother who was downstairs, reported hitting one of the intruders with a Lava Lamp, before both intruders fled the house.

None of the occupants were able to identify the intruders. They described the intruders as light-skinned males, of average build, both between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-11. They determined the intruders entered the home through an unlocked door. There are no close neighbors on the rural street, and the closest neighbors didn’t see or hear anything related to the home invasion, said the statement released today by the DA.

According to the statement, police have scoured evidence from dozens of phones for messages, calls, or phone numbers that could lead to suspects. Along with that, police retrieved data from a cellphone tower in the area. Specifically, data was collected from an evening a week before the shootings, when there was a social gathering at the Simmons house that involved numerous individuals. Determining which data from those towers is relevant has been a trying chore, as the Ephrata Fair was underway during the time of the shooting.

Additionally, surveillance cameras at businesses on nearby Route 322 were checked as part of the investigation, which has been under the direction of Detective Theresa Stauffer, lead investigator on the case for the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police, anonymously if preferred, with tips to:

  • Northern Lancaster County Regional police: 717-733-0965
  • Lancaster City/County CrimeStoppers: 800-322-1913, or you can Text a Tip to CrimeStoppers from your cellphone. Text LANCS plus your message to 847411