Tragic twist in Julie Mitchell's murder case: Police interview with person of interest ends in suicide

A shocking twist over the weekend in a 15-year-old Oklahoma City murder case.

Julie Mitchell was beaten to death in November 2010 in her home near Northwest 150th and Western Avenue. Her stepson found her body in her bedroom. Mitchell’s one-year-old daughter was found next to her unharmed. Investigators said $30,000 had been stolen from a safe in the closet.

The murder uncovered the victim’s husband’s illegal gambling operation, sending Teddy Mitchell to federal prison for more than two years. However, no one has ever been arrested or charged for the murder. But just as investigators were taking another look at a person of interest this weekend, the case took a dramatic and tragic turn.

The lead investigator on the case said he never ruled out Edmond insurance agent Michael Thomas as a person of interest in Mitchell’s murder. Thomas agreed to another interview with police this weekend, but it ended with him taking his life during a Zoom call.

The remote call with Thomas and his attorney Ed Blau started at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Detective Bryn Carter said Thomas immediately took over the conversation for nearly an hour.

“He didn’t give me an opportunity to ask him any questions,” said Detective Bryn Carter, Oklahoma City Police Department. “He controlled the conversation from start to finish.”

The call then took a disturbing and tragic turn.

“At about 40 minutes through the interview, he produced a firearm and took his own life,” said Carter. “In 31 years on the police department doing hundreds of hundreds of interviews, I’ve never had anyone commit suicide in front of me.”

Police said Thomas remained a person of interest throughout the investigation because of his gambling ties and debts owed to Mitchell. Questions Carter had for Thomas about the scene where Mitchell was found brutally murdered, or evidence that only Thomas possibly knew about, will remain a mystery.

“Him taking his own life without answering the questions that I needed answered to eliminate him as a person interest,” said Carter. “It speaks volumes that maybe he couldn’t answer those questions.”

Carter said he will continue to search for answers, keeping the case open.

“We’ve always said this was an old case,” said Carter. “Never a cold case.”

Police said Thomas was in Kansas outside a casino when he committed suicide. Thomas' attorney said he was as shocked as everyone else on the call when the gun went off.

Police said the victim’s husband was never ruled out of their investigation, although Mitchell has maintained his innocence. He was convicted and served a 27-month prison sentence for running the illegal gambling operation.