Matthew & Thy Mitchell murder-suicide: Co-owner of two popular Houston restaurants, Traveler’s Table & Traveler’s Cart shoots and kills business partner wife and their two children at their River Oaks home as associates and friends try to understand what went wrong.
Matthew and Thy Mitchell, the owners of two popular Houston restaurants, and their two children were found dead Monday evening at their River Oaks home in a suspected murder-suicide, Texas authorities said.
Houston police responded to a welfare check at 2113 Kingston Street around 5:25 p.m. May 4 after a babysitter and family member saying they were unable to contact the family. Officers discovered four bodies inside: a 52-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman, an 8-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy.
The Houston Police Department identified Matthew Mitchell, 52, as the suspect in the case. Police said evidence at the scene indicates the male suspect shot the three other victims before turning the gun on himself. All four victims were found with gunshot wounds.
Vietnamese family heartbroken
Property records from the Harris County Appraisal District link the residence to Matthew and Thy Mitchell. A spokesperson for their hospitality group confirmed Tuesday that the deceased were the Mitchell family, KHOU reported.
Social media identified the slain children.
‘We are heartbroken to share that my sister, Thy, and her beloved children, Maya and Max, passed away last night,’ Thy’s sister, Ly Mai, wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
‘Our family is grieving deeply and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult time. Funeral arrangements will be shared when they are available. Thank you for your understanding and support,’ she concluded.
What was going on behind closed doors?
Matthew and Thy were the owners of two Houston restaurants. In October 2019, they opened Traveler’s Table, a popular restaurant that put a modern spin on global dishes like Pad Thai and Jamaican Jerk Pork, and followed that up with Traveler’s Cart, a second restaurant in 2024.
The couple’s restaurants have been featured on Food Network programs, including ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives’ with host Guy Fieri.
Brittany Meisner, who worked as a publicist for Thy, shared a tribute to her ‘great friend’ on social media.
‘There are truly no words,’ Meisner captioned in an Instagram post. ‘Thy was not only a client, but a great friend. She was a devoted mother and business woman, and we are completely devastated and heartbroken a million times over again.’
Added another family friend, Mega McSwain, ‘It always seemed like nothing was wrong.’
Authorities to date have not said what may have triggered the domestic violence, including whether the family were undergoing financial difficulties with their restaurant operations. Or whether the Thy was getting ready to leave her husband with their children as some commentators on social media speculated.
Anyone with information in the case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600.
