A successful Houston restaurant couple and their two young kids were found dead in their upscale River Oaks home in what police are calling a murder-suicide.
Shaken, the city’s tight circle of chefs and cooks struggles to absorb what happened. Not just owners of busy eateries, Matthew and Thy Mitchell showed a lively bond wherever they went. Their presence sparked warmth, familiar faces at every local event. Known widely, their sudden absence cuts deep through neighborhoods that watched them thrive.
Monday at about five thirty in the afternoon, Houston police arrived at a house on Kingston Street. A babysitter along with a family member had grown concerned when they got no answer. The Mitchells were last known to be in touch the day before. Officers entered and discovered Matthew, age fifty two, alongside his wife Thy, who was thirty nine. Their children eight year old Maya and four year old Max were also inside. Each had died from gunshots. A gunshot ended the lives inside that house, leaving silence behind. Matthew is believed responsible for his family’s deaths, including his unborn child. The woman carried new life when violence struck without warning. He pulled the trigger last after taking everyone else first.
A tweet from X.
A spark lit in Houston’s dining scene when they launched Traveler’s Table in Montrose back in 2019, dishing out fresh takes on flavors gathered across continents. Their journey shaped each plate, drawing from far-flung trips and bold tastes. Not long after, movement shifted toward speed and simplicity enter Traveler’s Cart rolled in, bringing streetwise bites with global roots. Honors followed quietly; recognition came full circle last year as the state’s restaurant group pointed straight at them, calling it right: Restaurateurs of the Year.
Thy, a first-generation Vietnamese-American, grew up working in her family’s Vietnamese restaurant. She went on to hold corporate jobs in HR and operations for big brands before teaming up with Matthew to start their own places. She also had her own fashion and travel clothing line. Matthew came from a varied background journalism, pharmaceutical executive work, and culinary training.
Together for more than ten years, the Mitchells often posted online about food, travel, and family life, painting a picture of success and happiness. Ly Mai, the sister of Thy, announced this terrible news on social media, saying,
“We are devastated to announce that my sister, Thy, and her wonderful kids, Maya and Max, have died today.”
The tragedy has hit the local restaurant industry hard. Colleagues and longtime customers have been leaving flowers at the house and sharing memories. Maya’s school offered counseling, and many in the broader Houston community say they’re struggling to understand how this could happen to a family that seemed to have it all.
Right now a lot of questions remain. As with so many of these heartbreaking cases, the warning signs if there were any weren’t obvious to the outside world. Houston PD is asking anyone with information to call 713-308-3600.
For now, the focus is on the people left behind who have to somehow keep going after losing so much.
