May 7, 2026
Triple Murder Suicide of Prominent Family Stuns Houston
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RSS Feed There is no known motive for why 52-year-old married father of two, Matthew Mitchell, would shoot and kill his wife and children this week, and then turn the gun on himself. The Mitchells were prominent Houston restaurateurs who spent the last several years building their business, appearing in magazines and on local tv together. Just 10 days before her death, Thy Mitchell posted a now eerie video with her husband, smiling and joking about growing old together.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey, that folks. It it's Thursday, May seventh, and the folks in Houston right now are just asking this question why after a triple murder suicide and police say, yes, a husband and father shot and killed his wife and his two young children. And with that, welcome to this episode of amy and DJ the why that rose there. There's got to be a reason for something like this, but there he is not one right now.
00:00:29
Speaker 2: It makes no sense.
00:00:30
Speaker 3: And look, this is tragic no matter who or where this happened. But the Mitchell family was actually a prominent family in the Houston area. They owned two very successful restaurants. They'd been featured in local magazines, on local television stations, and his wife, thirty nine year old t Mitchell, was very active on social media, constantly showing very proud of her beautiful, seemingly perfect family. She and her husband had just posted this cute video exactly ten days before police found them all shot dead.
00:01:08
Speaker 1: And we should mention here Robes we say two kids, but we're talking about an eight and a four year old. So yes, this man and police don't are looking for suspects. They are not trying to solve the case. If you will in terms of looking for a killer out there. No, they do believe that the husband shot and killed the two kids who were found in their beds. If I do have that correctly. A woman was found as well, and they were found after because essentially a walfare check the babysitter had not heard from the family. Robes This story, no matter what, is a tragedy. There are some details you started to get into that make this even more I don't want to say horrific. It is a tragedy no matter where, but just more perplexing of a case.
00:01:55
Speaker 3: Yeah, this is We're talking about fifty two year old Matthew Mitchell, wife thirty nine year old t Mitchell, their eight year old daughter Maya, their four year old son Maxwell, and they were just adorable. These two had been together for more than a decade. They not only were seemingly happily married, but they worked together, were partners in every way.
00:02:18
Speaker 2: So yeah, there's no motive.
00:02:20
Speaker 3: The community shocked, friends are shocked, family shocked, Folks who knew them in the restaurant business. No one can understand what's going on. There's not been one person. I have not seen one article. I have not seen one family member one friend say something I always suspected or they were having a rough time, Like this literally came out of nowhere, and it happened in an area that is incredibly affluent. This is river Oaks, Texas, to be specific. It's about five miles out of Houston, I believe. But we're talking Joel Ostein, Senator Ted Cruz, George Foreman, they all live in river Oaks, Texas. Just to give you an idea about how shocking this is to this community.
00:03:05
Speaker 1: Again, this will shake anybody out, But Rogues dongeons of that. They are members of this community. But they also there's a reason they were more high profile members. Look, when you have a restaurant in a community like this, everybody knows you, they come by, they see you, and not just see you every now and again, you see them on a regular basis, so row to that you could imagine just about everybody knew this family, maybe do those kids. But then they're so proud of them Rogues because you said the attention they were getting, I mean, they were featured on Guy Fieri's show. That's not a small thing, was it? Diners, drive ins, dives?
00:03:42
Speaker 3: I met.
00:03:43
Speaker 2: Let's know, you got it right, that was in August of twenty twenty one.
00:03:46
Speaker 1: Road that is a big fun play. You know, they were like local celebrities. You could probably imagine so and at some point anybody can say anything online and speculate the folks we're hearing that knew these folks are don't have any words. No, so explain what possibly could have driven this man to do that?
00:04:08
Speaker 3: No, it makes no sense to anyone because these businesses, this owned and operated restaurant business they had was seemingly successful Traveler's Table, and then they just opened Traveler's Cart In.
00:04:21
Speaker 2: Twenty twenty four.
00:04:22
Speaker 3: They did a big interview on Great Day Houston, a morning show there where the two of them sat down and talked about their new restaurant, just to get the community excited. They talked about their relationship, they talked about how they made it work, juggling family, work and romance. So they were just a very public couple. And you know, owning a restaurant and having a successful one, you do you make yourself known in the community. You get to know the people who live there to have them become not just one time diners but frequent patrons. That's part of the business.
00:04:55
Speaker 1: Yeah, So a lot of people know this family, like they're active in the community. And I saw some quote by someone has said the most I saw. I can't remember how they said it, like a spat like I saw nothing, like nothing in between this couple that suggested there was a problem. Obviously, we never know what's going on behind closed doors. But there is no hint and no nothing suggesting police are looking for anybody else, and they never have from the very beginning, so to know, ro there's a lot of stuff. We see a lot of crimes, we see a lot of spouses killing each other. It is it is. It is incomprehensible that he could turn a gun on his own eight and four year old. It's unfathomable. It so something. There are answers that have got to come out. I think.
00:05:50
Speaker 3: I obviously the family and those who knew and loved them are going to want that, and perhaps we don't know. Police have not said anything about anything that was left behind indicated motive. In fact, they said there is no known motive, but there is an investigation that is taking place right now. They did say almost immediately that it was.
00:06:10
Speaker 2: A murder suicide.
00:06:11
Speaker 3: This said they said that evidence there at the scene almost as soon as they saw it, and they knew what they were dealing with. They knew there wasn't a threat to the community. They knew and ruled that Matthew's death was a suicide. A single gunshot wound to the head. They can look and see where the gun fell, and gunpowder residue and all of that they can tell pretty quickly. And so yes, they believe, we don't know in which order that he shot and killed his two children and his wife before then turning the gun on himself. And so we're hearing from even their restaurants, like can you imagine they've got these two restaurants they have remained open. They put out a statement and I thought it was interesting. They say to our community, as Traveler's Table and Traveler's Cart remain open for business, we want to thank our loyal staff who have shown up and were work through these difficult circumstances, ensuring that we continue to serve our community. We are asking for unity and respect for our privacy as we navigate this immense loss. Hospitality comes from within, and to honor the Traveler's legacy, we will continue to welcome you into our restaurants I mean, that's just got to be so unbelievably difficult to keep those businesses open.
00:07:24
Speaker 1: At the Sea, you know, I bet the community is probably showing up there. I know those I mean, people are depending on this their livelihood, right They don't need that place to shut down. People in the community understand that. Long term, who knows what's going to happen to these restaurants, But for right now, I bet people are and by coming there to eat, even if you don't have to engage and talk about I'm sure the employee don't want to be talking about it. Being there, ordering a meal, leaving a tip is like a collective community hug. Yeah, that they're giving everybody right now. I'm sure that's happening.
00:07:56
Speaker 2: I'm sure that's happening too.
00:07:57
Speaker 3: And look, this was a couple and these restaurants meant a lot to them obviously and to the community itself as well. You can see on Tea's Instagram she has it pinned actually from twenty twenty four, so just two years ago, where they were both featured as a power couple in a Houston magazine and the caption read building our dreams together. Were honored to be highlighted in Houston Modern Luxury Magazine's.
00:08:23
Speaker 2: Power Players issue.
00:08:24
Speaker 3: So yeah, they were building their dreams together with these restaurants, but building it within their community as well. When we come back, we're going to talk about Tea's Instagram because there is something now that is so chilling that she posted exactly ten days before her death. And welcome back everyone to this episode of Amy and TJ where we are talking about a just a troubling head scratching her horrific triple murder suicide from a prominent Houston family. We're talking about fifty two year old Matthew Mitchell. Police believe he killed his thirty nine year old wife te Mitchell, their eight year old daughter Maya, their four year old son Maxwell, and then turned the gun on himself. This week, a babysitter called in a welfare check and that is what police found. There is no motive, so of course people are trying to look for answers, and we mentioned before the break the Tea was big on social media. She had so many beautiful pictures of her family of and by the way, her husband Matthew played a prominent role throughout her Instagram and ten days I showed this to you babe.
00:09:41
Speaker 2: Before her death, te.
00:09:44
Speaker 3: Posted just this really cute video on Instagram with her and Matthew. They had their arms around each other, he was smiling and the cat and they're just kind of going back and forth dancing, and the caption says, he thinks we will grow older together, will but I'm Asian, And then underneath she wrote, I didn't have the heart to correct him. She's making a joke about how he's probably gonna age terribly because he's a white guy and she's Asian, she's going to look younger than him. So but just the idea that that was their last video together talking about growing old together.
00:10:16
Speaker 1: Well, I I yes, I'm curious, though it's none of my business, but I am curious. And these stories are fascinating and I'm always interested to hear what we what people in the community, what maybe their friends and their family. Was there something that was missed? What happened like this? It's so cool what happened ropes with this. This is a break. Something you do not function like this in normal society every day as a loving husband and then do that robe the kid was four. It's in no parent listening can understand that.
00:10:55
Speaker 3: Yeah, what could drive someone to do that other than mental illness or something else. You know, we have heard and seen these horrific stories if there's a custody battle or there's some sort of horrific split, but that's not the case.
00:11:07
Speaker 1: Here.
00:11:08
Speaker 3: Ten days before, they're dancing with their arms around each other, kind of flirty, laughing, talking about growing old together. Sure couples get in fights, Sure, catastrophic things happen, or maybe people have double life. Yes, I know those things happen, but they were so public, they were so prominent.
00:11:23
Speaker 2: It wasn't as.
00:11:24
Speaker 3: If he could probably go off and have some double life and that she wouldn't have known about something that dramatic. It seems like would had to have been at play for him to literally snap, because that's not a normal response to a.
00:11:39
Speaker 2: Fight, Nope, or an argument or even a divorce.
00:11:43
Speaker 1: We saw the case recently the lawmaker in Virginia. Was it, Yes, awful, he did divorce. God served some particular papers showing when he was going to have to be in court. And what happens He kills her, he kills himself.
00:11:55
Speaker 3: Right.
00:11:57
Speaker 1: That story, as tragic, horrible as it was, their kids were in the house teenagers. But it just makes me think of that.
00:12:02
Speaker 2: I'm not robes.
00:12:04
Speaker 1: Damn, it's it's all awful. Yes, but Jesus, the kids, you can't get I don't know how someone gets mad enough in any kind of a dispute that you want to take out your own kids. Yeah, that is just what we cannot generally understand that. So these stories are fascinating. Robes are not entertained tainment for anybody, no matter what true crime special comes out of it down the road. This is a fascinating human tragedy.
00:12:30
Speaker 3: Yes, it is, and especially when you look at the people involved, because it's so unexpected and so unexplained. Matthew, you know, you look into his background. He went to Emory University. He's a former journalist. He lived in London, Paris, New York. He was a man of the world. They traveled together, they documented it. Gave up a high paying pharmaceutical job to go start this family business with his wife. And she's the daughter of immigrants from Vietnam working in restaurants, working in the hospitality intant industry. She went to the University of Houston and Penn State. Like these were smart, accomplished well traveled and successful human.
00:13:09
Speaker 1: Beings, And you could argue charming people. They lived in the public. Yes, even if they weren't on our TVs every day or even the local TV every day, they were interacting with their community every day, selling themselves if you will. I don't get it.
00:13:24
Speaker 2: It doesn't make any sense.
00:13:25
Speaker 3: And you know, everyone I saw online was pointing to Tea's final post, the last post she made before this unbelievable tragedy. It was a sweet video of her and her eight year old daughter Maya getting measured for dresses for her sister's wedding. So Maya was going to be the flower girl and Tea was a bridesmaid and her sister's about to get married, and so that was her last video, just excited about the future, having little Maya twirl around on her flower girl dress. And just to think now about Tea's poor family, and yeah, yes, Matthew's poor family all just dealing with just an un We're all puzzled, we're all feeling the loss of it. But imagine the questions and the pain those poor families are living with right now. So our hearts go out to them and certainly hope that they get some answers to try and make some sense of really an unexplainable, horrific tragedy. We always appreciate you listening to us.
00:14:25
Speaker 2: Everyone. I'm am Roeboch alongside TJ. Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 1: Hey, that folks. It it's Thursday, May seventh, and the folks in Houston right now are just asking this question why after a triple murder suicide and police say, yes, a husband and father shot and killed his wife and his two young children. And with that, welcome to this episode of amy and DJ the why that rose there. There's got to be a reason for something like this, but there he is not one right now.
00:00:29
Speaker 2: It makes no sense.
00:00:30
Speaker 3: And look, this is tragic no matter who or where this happened. But the Mitchell family was actually a prominent family in the Houston area. They owned two very successful restaurants. They'd been featured in local magazines, on local television stations, and his wife, thirty nine year old t Mitchell, was very active on social media, constantly showing very proud of her beautiful, seemingly perfect family. She and her husband had just posted this cute video exactly ten days before police found them all shot dead.
00:01:08
Speaker 1: And we should mention here Robes we say two kids, but we're talking about an eight and a four year old. So yes, this man and police don't are looking for suspects. They are not trying to solve the case. If you will in terms of looking for a killer out there. No, they do believe that the husband shot and killed the two kids who were found in their beds. If I do have that correctly. A woman was found as well, and they were found after because essentially a walfare check the babysitter had not heard from the family. Robes This story, no matter what, is a tragedy. There are some details you started to get into that make this even more I don't want to say horrific. It is a tragedy no matter where, but just more perplexing of a case.
00:01:55
Speaker 3: Yeah, this is We're talking about fifty two year old Matthew Mitchell, wife thirty nine year old t Mitchell, their eight year old daughter Maya, their four year old son Maxwell, and they were just adorable. These two had been together for more than a decade. They not only were seemingly happily married, but they worked together, were partners in every way.
00:02:18
Speaker 2: So yeah, there's no motive.
00:02:20
Speaker 3: The community shocked, friends are shocked, family shocked, Folks who knew them in the restaurant business. No one can understand what's going on. There's not been one person. I have not seen one article. I have not seen one family member one friend say something I always suspected or they were having a rough time, Like this literally came out of nowhere, and it happened in an area that is incredibly affluent. This is river Oaks, Texas, to be specific. It's about five miles out of Houston, I believe. But we're talking Joel Ostein, Senator Ted Cruz, George Foreman, they all live in river Oaks, Texas. Just to give you an idea about how shocking this is to this community.
00:03:05
Speaker 1: Again, this will shake anybody out, But Rogues dongeons of that. They are members of this community. But they also there's a reason they were more high profile members. Look, when you have a restaurant in a community like this, everybody knows you, they come by, they see you, and not just see you every now and again, you see them on a regular basis, so row to that you could imagine just about everybody knew this family, maybe do those kids. But then they're so proud of them Rogues because you said the attention they were getting, I mean, they were featured on Guy Fieri's show. That's not a small thing, was it? Diners, drive ins, dives?
00:03:42
Speaker 3: I met.
00:03:43
Speaker 2: Let's know, you got it right, that was in August of twenty twenty one.
00:03:46
Speaker 1: Road that is a big fun play. You know, they were like local celebrities. You could probably imagine so and at some point anybody can say anything online and speculate the folks we're hearing that knew these folks are don't have any words. No, so explain what possibly could have driven this man to do that?
00:04:08
Speaker 3: No, it makes no sense to anyone because these businesses, this owned and operated restaurant business they had was seemingly successful Traveler's Table, and then they just opened Traveler's Cart In.
00:04:21
Speaker 2: Twenty twenty four.
00:04:22
Speaker 3: They did a big interview on Great Day Houston, a morning show there where the two of them sat down and talked about their new restaurant, just to get the community excited. They talked about their relationship, they talked about how they made it work, juggling family, work and romance. So they were just a very public couple. And you know, owning a restaurant and having a successful one, you do you make yourself known in the community. You get to know the people who live there to have them become not just one time diners but frequent patrons. That's part of the business.
00:04:55
Speaker 1: Yeah, So a lot of people know this family, like they're active in the community. And I saw some quote by someone has said the most I saw. I can't remember how they said it, like a spat like I saw nothing, like nothing in between this couple that suggested there was a problem. Obviously, we never know what's going on behind closed doors. But there is no hint and no nothing suggesting police are looking for anybody else, and they never have from the very beginning, so to know, ro there's a lot of stuff. We see a lot of crimes, we see a lot of spouses killing each other. It is it is. It is incomprehensible that he could turn a gun on his own eight and four year old. It's unfathomable. It so something. There are answers that have got to come out. I think.
00:05:50
Speaker 3: I obviously the family and those who knew and loved them are going to want that, and perhaps we don't know. Police have not said anything about anything that was left behind indicated motive. In fact, they said there is no known motive, but there is an investigation that is taking place right now. They did say almost immediately that it was.
00:06:10
Speaker 2: A murder suicide.
00:06:11
Speaker 3: This said they said that evidence there at the scene almost as soon as they saw it, and they knew what they were dealing with. They knew there wasn't a threat to the community. They knew and ruled that Matthew's death was a suicide. A single gunshot wound to the head. They can look and see where the gun fell, and gunpowder residue and all of that they can tell pretty quickly. And so yes, they believe, we don't know in which order that he shot and killed his two children and his wife before then turning the gun on himself. And so we're hearing from even their restaurants, like can you imagine they've got these two restaurants they have remained open. They put out a statement and I thought it was interesting. They say to our community, as Traveler's Table and Traveler's Cart remain open for business, we want to thank our loyal staff who have shown up and were work through these difficult circumstances, ensuring that we continue to serve our community. We are asking for unity and respect for our privacy as we navigate this immense loss. Hospitality comes from within, and to honor the Traveler's legacy, we will continue to welcome you into our restaurants I mean, that's just got to be so unbelievably difficult to keep those businesses open.
00:07:24
Speaker 1: At the Sea, you know, I bet the community is probably showing up there. I know those I mean, people are depending on this their livelihood, right They don't need that place to shut down. People in the community understand that. Long term, who knows what's going to happen to these restaurants, But for right now, I bet people are and by coming there to eat, even if you don't have to engage and talk about I'm sure the employee don't want to be talking about it. Being there, ordering a meal, leaving a tip is like a collective community hug. Yeah, that they're giving everybody right now. I'm sure that's happening.
00:07:56
Speaker 2: I'm sure that's happening too.
00:07:57
Speaker 3: And look, this was a couple and these restaurants meant a lot to them obviously and to the community itself as well. You can see on Tea's Instagram she has it pinned actually from twenty twenty four, so just two years ago, where they were both featured as a power couple in a Houston magazine and the caption read building our dreams together. Were honored to be highlighted in Houston Modern Luxury Magazine's.
00:08:23
Speaker 2: Power Players issue.
00:08:24
Speaker 3: So yeah, they were building their dreams together with these restaurants, but building it within their community as well. When we come back, we're going to talk about Tea's Instagram because there is something now that is so chilling that she posted exactly ten days before her death. And welcome back everyone to this episode of Amy and TJ where we are talking about a just a troubling head scratching her horrific triple murder suicide from a prominent Houston family. We're talking about fifty two year old Matthew Mitchell. Police believe he killed his thirty nine year old wife te Mitchell, their eight year old daughter Maya, their four year old son Maxwell, and then turned the gun on himself. This week, a babysitter called in a welfare check and that is what police found. There is no motive, so of course people are trying to look for answers, and we mentioned before the break the Tea was big on social media. She had so many beautiful pictures of her family of and by the way, her husband Matthew played a prominent role throughout her Instagram and ten days I showed this to you babe.
00:09:41
Speaker 2: Before her death, te.
00:09:44
Speaker 3: Posted just this really cute video on Instagram with her and Matthew. They had their arms around each other, he was smiling and the cat and they're just kind of going back and forth dancing, and the caption says, he thinks we will grow older together, will but I'm Asian, And then underneath she wrote, I didn't have the heart to correct him. She's making a joke about how he's probably gonna age terribly because he's a white guy and she's Asian, she's going to look younger than him. So but just the idea that that was their last video together talking about growing old together.
00:10:16
Speaker 1: Well, I I yes, I'm curious, though it's none of my business, but I am curious. And these stories are fascinating and I'm always interested to hear what we what people in the community, what maybe their friends and their family. Was there something that was missed? What happened like this? It's so cool what happened ropes with this. This is a break. Something you do not function like this in normal society every day as a loving husband and then do that robe the kid was four. It's in no parent listening can understand that.
00:10:55
Speaker 3: Yeah, what could drive someone to do that other than mental illness or something else. You know, we have heard and seen these horrific stories if there's a custody battle or there's some sort of horrific split, but that's not the case.
00:11:07
Speaker 1: Here.
00:11:08
Speaker 3: Ten days before, they're dancing with their arms around each other, kind of flirty, laughing, talking about growing old together. Sure couples get in fights, Sure, catastrophic things happen, or maybe people have double life. Yes, I know those things happen, but they were so public, they were so prominent.
00:11:23
Speaker 2: It wasn't as.
00:11:24
Speaker 3: If he could probably go off and have some double life and that she wouldn't have known about something that dramatic. It seems like would had to have been at play for him to literally snap, because that's not a normal response to a.
00:11:39
Speaker 2: Fight, Nope, or an argument or even a divorce.
00:11:43
Speaker 1: We saw the case recently the lawmaker in Virginia. Was it, Yes, awful, he did divorce. God served some particular papers showing when he was going to have to be in court. And what happens He kills her, he kills himself.
00:11:55
Speaker 3: Right.
00:11:57
Speaker 1: That story, as tragic, horrible as it was, their kids were in the house teenagers. But it just makes me think of that.
00:12:02
Speaker 2: I'm not robes.
00:12:04
Speaker 1: Damn, it's it's all awful. Yes, but Jesus, the kids, you can't get I don't know how someone gets mad enough in any kind of a dispute that you want to take out your own kids. Yeah, that is just what we cannot generally understand that. So these stories are fascinating. Robes are not entertained tainment for anybody, no matter what true crime special comes out of it down the road. This is a fascinating human tragedy.
00:12:30
Speaker 3: Yes, it is, and especially when you look at the people involved, because it's so unexpected and so unexplained. Matthew, you know, you look into his background. He went to Emory University. He's a former journalist. He lived in London, Paris, New York. He was a man of the world. They traveled together, they documented it. Gave up a high paying pharmaceutical job to go start this family business with his wife. And she's the daughter of immigrants from Vietnam working in restaurants, working in the hospitality intant industry. She went to the University of Houston and Penn State. Like these were smart, accomplished well traveled and successful human.
00:13:09
Speaker 1: Beings, And you could argue charming people. They lived in the public. Yes, even if they weren't on our TVs every day or even the local TV every day, they were interacting with their community every day, selling themselves if you will. I don't get it.
00:13:24
Speaker 2: It doesn't make any sense.
00:13:25
Speaker 3: And you know, everyone I saw online was pointing to Tea's final post, the last post she made before this unbelievable tragedy. It was a sweet video of her and her eight year old daughter Maya getting measured for dresses for her sister's wedding. So Maya was going to be the flower girl and Tea was a bridesmaid and her sister's about to get married, and so that was her last video, just excited about the future, having little Maya twirl around on her flower girl dress. And just to think now about Tea's poor family, and yeah, yes, Matthew's poor family all just dealing with just an un We're all puzzled, we're all feeling the loss of it. But imagine the questions and the pain those poor families are living with right now. So our hearts go out to them and certainly hope that they get some answers to try and make some sense of really an unexplainable, horrific tragedy. We always appreciate you listening to us.
00:14:25
Speaker 2: Everyone. I'm am Roeboch alongside TJ. Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.