The tragic case of a Texas family murder-suicide has been made all the more haunting by a recent social media post from the wife of the deceased. The incident involved the wife, Thy Mitchell, 39, and her two children, Maya, 8, and Max, 4, who were all killed by her husband, Matthew Mitchell, 52, in their $1.2 million home. Authorities confirmed that after committing the murders, Matthew took his own life.

In a chilling twist, just ten days prior to this tragic event, Thy shared a video on her Instagram account that now feels eerily prescient. The post featured her and Matthew together, overlaid with text jokingly stating, “He thinks we will grow old together. He will, but I’m Asian.”

While the clip was likely intended as a light-hearted reference to the longer life expectancy often associated with Asian Americans, it has taken on a darker tone in the wake of the horrific events. Many viewers now find the post unsettling, given the tragedy that unfolded shortly after.

The couple could be seen standing together, with text reading: ‘He thinks we will grow old together. He will, but I’m Asian.’

The short video looks to be a harmless joke about the life expectancy of Asian Americans, but users found it chilling given what has happened since. 

One person commented: ‘The foreshadowing is chilling’, with another adding: ‘If only she knew.’

Another posted: ‘Yet another horrific act of domestic violence. They seemed to have it all. 

‘Why do these men have to wipe out their entire family- those poor little children included?’

Social media users have since said the post to her page was haunting due to her caption over it

Officers said they entered the home to find the family of four dead inside 

The couple owned the restaurant Traveler’s Table in Houston, and Matthew was previously CEO of the Texas Center for Drug Development.

Matthew frequently appeared on his wife’s Instagram alongside their children in what, on the surface, looked to be an idyllic family.

Houston Police Department said they were called to the address shortly after 5:26pm on Monday for a welfare check.

Police said it was a babysitter and a relative of one of the parents who alerted officers after not hearing from the family for over a day. 

Officers said they entered the home to find the parents and their two children dead inside. 

The children were last seen on Sunday and had been found dead in their beds, according Fox News.

Authorities said they were treating the tragedy as a murder-suicide, but have not released any further details about the crime scene. 

The River Oaks community is among the most affluent in Houston, where multi-million dollar homes line the streets. 

The family of four were found inside the address in the 2100-block of Kingston Street, seen here

Authorities said the couple’s two children aged Maya, 8, and Max, 4, were found dead in the home

A neighbor told Click2Houston: ‘I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 19 years and never seen anything like this. We haven’t had these kind of tragedies. 

‘We don’t have robberies. We have incredible constables in this neighborhood, but it’s very sad.’

According to his biography on his restaurant’s website, Matthew studied in France, Italy, and at Oxford University in England, and early in his career, he worked as a journalist in London and New York City. 

When he returned to Texas, he attended Rice University and entered the pharmaceutical industry. 

He was then the President and CEO of the Texas Center for Drug Development, Inc., a clinical research company. 

He went on to open Traveler’s Table with his wife Thy – a restaurateur and board member of the Texas Restaurant Association. 

In September 2025, the couple was named Restaurateurs Of The Year in Houston.

An audacious duo of suspected thieves left employees at a luxurious Arizona steakhouse in disbelief after allegedly snatching a $4,000 bottle of rare cognac. The surprising theft at this upscale venue has left staff members astonished, as they recount never having experienced such a bold heist before.

Security footage from the Three Thirty Three Restaurant in Tempe reveals the precise moment on May 4 when the couple, appearing undisturbed, allegedly executed their plan. The video captures the woman discreetly placing a coveted bottle of Louis XIII cognac into her handbag.

In the surveillance clip, the woman is observed carefully lifting the $4,000 cognac bottle and concealing it in her purse.

“There was no need to steal from us,” expressed John DeVries, a seasoned restaurant professional with over 40 years in the field, during an interview with KSAZ-TV. “You didn’t need to come in and steal. Stealing from me, stealing from this family here, that’s not happening. We’re on you. We’re gonna get you. We’re gonna prosecute you.”

The restaurant’s surveillance footage also captures the woman as she allegedly stashes the expensive liquor bottle in her bag, subsequently fleeing the scene with an accomplice in a black SUV. (Kaos Hospitality Group)

According to staff, the duo’s scheme was anything but spontaneous.

They allegedly booked a table under a fake name and phone number, arrived late and ordered only appetizers before causing minor complaints.

Surveillance video captured the woman allegedly hiding the bottle in her purse while the man blocked the manager’s view. (Kaos Hospitality Group)

The man reportedly blocked the manager’s view while the woman slipped back inside, grabbed the luxury bottle from a rolling service cart and tucked it into her bag.

Moments later, the pair bolted.

The identity of a couple suspected of stealing a bottle of cognac’s is unknown, but they were seen leaving in a black SUV. (Kaos Hospitality Group)

The suspects fled in a black SUV, according to the Kaos Hospitality Group, which owns the restaurant.

Now, the restaurant is asking for the public’s help tracking down the duo behind the heist.

Police have been notified.

In a statement, the Tempe Police Department said the investigation remains ongoing and that it had “no additional information.”

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In a significant legal decision on Wednesday, a U.S. judge permitted the Justice Department to retain 2020 election ballots that were seized during an FBI operation in January. This ruling represents a legal victory for former President Donald Trump’s administration, which continues to promote unfounded claims of extensive voter fraud in the election.

U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee, based in Atlanta, turned down Fulton County’s motion to reclaim the original copies of the seized documents.

Attorneys representing the county contended that the FBI’s search of its election center was based on faulty and discredited evidence, arguing that it infringed upon constitutional protections.

Judge Boulee acknowledged that there were imperfections in the FBI affidavit used to obtain judicial approval for the search. However, he determined that these deficiencies did not meet the “callous disregard” standard necessary to justify returning the records to the county.

“Although the Affidavit was undeniably imperfect, this is not a case where an officer omitted all facts that could challenge probable cause or deliberately falsified information,” Boulee stated in his comprehensive 68-page decision.

Fulton County intends to “vigorously” pursue all available legal options, the county’s chairman, Robb Pitts, said in a statement, while adding that he disagreed with the judge’s ruling.

Spokespeople for the FBI and the Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The ruling is a rare court victory for Trump’s Justice Department in investigations that Trump has demanded.

It will allow the FBI to keep possession of more than 600 boxes of 2020 ballots as it pursues a criminal investigation into whether election records were not properly retained or whether residents in Fulton County, which includes most of Atlanta, were defrauded out of a fair election.

But the investigation still faces significant obstacles.

DOJ lawyers have not identified any individual targets of the probe and have not disputed claims that the statute of limitations appears to have expired on both crimes prosecutors have said they are investigating.

DISPUTE CLOSELY WATCHED AHEAD OF NOVEMBER ELECTIONS

The dispute was closely watched by election officials and experts across the country as Trump continues to threaten a potential federal government takeover of some local elections and sows doubts about voting ahead of the November elections.

Trump has continued to falsely claim that his defeat in the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud and has deployed US law enforcement and intelligence agencies to re-investigate claims about the collection and tallying of votes.

Justice Department lawyers argued that Fulton County had not met the stringent legal standard necessary to secure the return of material seized during a court-approved search.

During the search, which was approved by a federal magistrate judge, FBI agents seized original 2020 ballots and other records from the county’s election center in Union City, Georgia.

Authorities cited alleged “deficiencies or ​defects” with the 2020 vote, including ​claims that some digital images of ⁠ballots were missing and some absentee ballots did not appear to have been folded as required.

The investigation began with a referral from Kurt Olsen, a lawyer who aided Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election and has since been tasked ​by the White House with re-examining the vote.

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s director of national intelligence, attended the search in an unusual move for an official whose focus is on foreign threats to the United States.

Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold in a state that has become hotly ​contested in presidential elections, became the center of conspiracy theories and fraud claims spread by Trump and his allies following the 2020 election.

Biden’s wide margin in Fulton County was key to flipping ​Georgia in Democrats’ favor.

The state swung back to Trump in 2024.

Lawyers for Fulton County argued that the FBI affidavit used to justify the search omitted crucial context showing that many of its claims had previously been investigated and found to be either unfounded or mistakes that were not the result of intentional misconduct.

During a March court hearing in Atlanta, an election expert who advised the county on the 2020 election testified that much of the evidence cited in the affidavit appears to show a misunderstanding of how elections are conducted.

Meghan Markle may not be gracing the Met Gala or basking in Hollywood’s spotlight right now, but don’t be fooled by appearances. While some might say she’s losing favor, the reality is that she’s taking a more strategic path.

Beyond the public eye and away from the red carpet, Meghan is supported by a network of influential women who have been by her side since she and Prince Harry stepped back from royal duties. These women are quietly shaping her next moves.

At the core of this powerful alliance is a group of four women, each a billionaire with strong ties to Hollywood’s elite. They include the iconic TV personality Oprah Winfrey and Mellody Hobson, the former chair of Starbucks. There’s also Shonda Rhimes, the mastermind behind the hit show Bridgerton, and Nicole Avant, a diplomat married to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

While these women might not be everyday companions, they operate within the same influential circles in Montecito and Hollywood, where their paths frequently cross. According to sources, they are part of a broader, informal network of powerful figures, primarily based between Montecito and Los Angeles, who stay in touch through private messaging and behind-the-scenes discussions.

Not close friends in a social, day-to-day sense, they nevertheless operate within the same Montecito and Hollywood power ecosystem, where overlap is constant. Sources tell me they are part of a wider, informal but highly active group of influential figures, many based between Montecito and Los Angeles, who remain in regular contact via private messaging groups and off-camera conversations.

This extended circle is said to include film producer Tyler Perry, TV personality Gayle King, and even Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland. ‘They are all incredibly busy, they are not sitting having brunch every week,’ one source says. ‘But if one of them needs something, advice, funding, a contact, they show up. That is how power works at that level.’

Together, they offer something far more valuable than that gaudy Monday night invitation to the Met. They provide insulation, access and, when needed, intervention, too.

And all of them, it turns out, are quietly aligned around the same prize, a project insiders say could be the biggest global entertainment coup of them all, not to mention a royal PR catastrophe: Meghan’s autobiography.

Behind the glare and off the red carpets she nowadays rarely walks exists a network of women who have not only stood by her since Megxit, but continue to quietly shape what comes next

It began in 2020.

Before buying their own home, Meghan and Harry stayed at a mansion in Beverly Hills owned by Tyler Perry, a billionaire 56-year-old film producer, playwright and actor, who encouraged the pair to settle in ‘safe and well connected’ Montecito.

They then purchased Riven Rock Estate, a 14,500 square foot property in the Santa Barbara area, for $14.65million (£10.7million) in June and moved in the following month.

The exclusive enclave was not just a lifestyle choice for the then panicked, freshly unemployed working royals. It was a strategic location, one of the most discreet concentrations of wealth and networking in California and, crucially, where Oprah Winfrey lived.

The talk show billionaire’s role in Meghan’s post-royal life is well documented, most notoriously through the March 2021 CBS interview which hardened the rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal Family.

Watched by 17million Americans, 12million Brits and tens of millions more worldwide, it was a global cultural event. While Oprah, 72, and Meghan rarely appear together publicly, they now live minutes from each other in Montecito and see each other regularly, meeting privately.

I am told Oprah sends Meghan’s children, Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, fruit from her own garden, and also gives presents for Christmas, Easter and birthdays.

But Oprah’s influence also extends into the couple’s social calendar, shaping where Meghan is seen and, just as importantly, where she is not. I can reveal it was Oprah who encouraged Meghan and Harry to attend Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party on November 8 last year, a lavish James Bond-themed soiree at Amazon boss Jeff Bezos’s Beverly Hills mansion.

Oprah Winfrey interviewed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a famous CBS interview in March 2021

Oprah’s influence extends into the couple’s social calendar, shaping where Meghan is seen and, just as importantly, where she is not

The goal was for Meghan to rub shoulders with key power-players, including Bezos himself.

After the event, however, the couple famously requested the removal of photos posted online by Kim Kardashian and Jenner. Publicly, sources cited sensitivity around Remembrance Day in the UK, but I’m told it wasn’t just that: the truth is, the Sussexes still want to be seen as above the celebrity frenzy.

The same calculation applied to the wedding of Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, which took place in Venice last June. The couple were invited but chose not to attend, not because of any feud, but because they knew it would be a media storm and they would be called opportunists.

Less visible, but arguably just as important, is Meghan’s ‘mentor number two’, Mellody Hobson. Chief executive of Ariel Investments, former chair of Starbucks, the 57-year-old is married to Star Wars film-maker George Lucas and operates at the intersection of finance, media and influence.

‘She doesn’t give her time to just anyone. Duchess or dinner lady, Mellody is selective,’ a source close to Hobson tells me. ‘That’s because she lends credibility to anyone she associates with.’

Hobson appeared on Meghan’s Archetypes podcast in November 2022 – a rare public endorsement – but a business associate of Hobson tells me she has counselled Meghan at length in private and shared business tips about ownership, intellectual property and long-term control of content.

Then there is Shonda Rhimes, one of the most powerful figures in TV and a key architect of Netflix’s success through hits like Grey’s Anatomy and Bridgerton.

The 56-year-old’s support matters less in a visible, promotional sense and more in terms of positioning. Meghan and Harry’s Netflix deal may have cooled, but relationships inside that ecosystem still count.

‘She doesn’t give her time to just anyone. Duchess or dinner lady, Mellody is selective,’ a source close to Hobson tells me (pictured, Mellody with film-maker husband George Lucas)

Shonda Rhimes is a key architect of Netflix’s success, being the mind behind hits like Grey’s Anatomy and Bridgerton

In an industry where access is everything, Rhimes remains a gatekeeper.

A producer who has worked with both women tells me Rhimes is also close to diplomat Nicole Avant, further cementing the Netflix thread running through Meghan’s entire network.

Avant, 58, daughter of music executive Clarence Avant and a former US ambassador to the Bahamas, moves easily between politics, entertainment and philanthropy. She is also married to Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix.

It is here that the narrative currently circulating – that Avant is somehow at odds with Meghan – begins to unravel. ‘That’s just not what I’ve seen,’ a Netflix insider tells me. ‘The opposite, in fact.’

Sources familiar with their dynamic describe ongoing contact and continued alignment within the same professional and philanthropic circles. The suggestion of a falling out is described by one Netflix insider as ‘misread noise rather than reality’.

Avant has long been an advocate for Meghan within Hollywood, steadying relationships when the couple’s reputation has wobbled.

The relationship, a person familiar with their dynamic tells me, has at times been emotional. There have been moments when Meghan has been overwhelmed by the pressure, the collapse of commercial deals, the constant tide of negative headlines, and Nicole Avant has been there.

At a Netflix gathering on April 10, held at Sarandos and Avant’s own home in Montecito, the two women were seen holding hands and embracing. It was seen as a cynical, forced closeness, but a guest at the gathering says it was a ‘purposeful display of unity’.

Nicole Avant has long been an advocate for Meghan within Hollywood, steadying relationships when the couple’s reputation has wobbled

So where does all this leave Brand Sussex?

Meghan’s Archetypes podcast for Spotify ended after one season and her Netflix lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, filmed in Montecito, was not renewed. Archewell’s documentary Polo underperformed with critics and audiences.

Commercial projects, including her As Ever lifestyle brand, have yet to fully scale up.

A nd yet the broader Netflix relationship has not collapsed. Last month, a senior Netflix executive pushed back on claims of a rift, urging people not to ‘believe everything you read’ and confirmed that projects remain in active development.

Meghan and Harry signed a reported $100million (£74million) deal with Netflix in 2020, and while output has been uneven, the relationship remains active, with projects continuing on a rolling development basis rather than a single renewed contract.

Meghan and Harry are actively developing a scripted polo drama with Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the producing duo behind Gossip Girl and The OC.

The project, says the Netflix insider, is an upstairs-downstairs drama set in the world of elite polo. ‘This has been salvaged from the underperforming documentary and turned into a sports drama that is likely to be of more interest,’ the same insider tells me. ‘It shows how much Netflix is trying to save this relationship.’

Meghan is studying executive producing through Archewell Productions, including behind-the-camera skills such as project development and production decision-making. Sources say the emphasis is on shaping content rather than performing in it.

‘She doesn’t want to be on the poster,’ one says. ‘She wants to be in the writers’ room.’

And then there is the project that sits behind much of this alignment: Meghan’s autobiography. For years, it has hovered as rumour, occasionally acknowledged, never confirmed in full detail. She has, according to those familiar with the process, been taking notes for years, not casually, but methodically.

A publishing insider tells me: ‘Voice notes on her phone at 1am. Written journals. Structured reflections. She has been documenting everything since before Megxit.’

The value of that material is obvious. A memoir from Meghan would not just be a book. It would be a multi-platform event, with global publishing rights, an interview special, and a streaming component.

It is expected to be bigger than Harry’s Spare, which sold more than 1.4million copies on its first day of release in January 2023. Publishing experts tell me Meghan’s book could easily surpass those numbers.

Nicole Avant is said to have fostered behind-the-scenes chats about how such a project could be developed in partnership with Netflix as a structured, multi-part rollout tied to the book’s release.

The timing, however, is complicated. Publishing plans are believed to have slowed in part due to the delicate question of King Charles and Harry’s ongoing attempts, however tentative, to repair their relationship.

A memoir is leverage, but it also represents a risk.

Sources say Meghan wants the book to be both a record-setter and a reset, telling her version of events while also charting her success in America. ‘She does not want it to be a book of grievances,’ one insider tells me. ‘She wants it to reflect where she is going, not just where she has been.’

I am told she is acutely aware of the fallout that followed the Oprah interview and Harry’s Spare, and is determined to strike a careful balance. ‘There are things she could say that would dominate headlines,’ the source adds. ‘But she is weighing that against the bigger picture.’

One of the moments she is particularly keen to address is the backlash to the Instagram story she posted while she was in Paris for the Balenciaga show last October. Filming was done close to the Paris tunnel where Princess Diana died and there was an outcry about it being insensitive. ‘That really stayed with her,’ the source says. ‘She wants to explain the context properly.’

Sources say Harry’s priority remains stabilising relations with the Royal Family, particularly King Charles, while maintaining some form of contact between their children and his father.

Meghan is described as supportive of that objective, with no desire to escalate tensions. The approach, according to a source close to the couple, is ‘avoid rupture while keeping future options open’. Archie and Lilibet are said to have occasional contact with their grandfather through calls and video calls.

There is also a deeper layer to this support. Behind these four women is a wider network of women in entertainment and media who are convinced that Meghan has been given an unfair hearing, and see her much publicised missteps as not unforgivable.

So, yes, the Met Gala did not need Meghan, but apparently, she did not need it either.