A person of interest in the 2010 murder of Julie Mitchell in Oklahoma died by suicide while being questioned during a Zoom call with authorities on May 31, 2025. Michael Wayne Thomas, 54, shot himself in a wooded area outside a casino in Kansas, according to reports. The tragic incident unfolded as Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) officials were seeking answers regarding Mitchell’s unsolved murder.
The 2010 Murder Case and the Investigation
Julie Mitchell was found brutally beaten to death in her home in November 2010. The 34-year-old victim’s 13-month-old baby was found unharmed beside her, adding to the unsettling nature of the case. Despite years of investigation, the murder remains unsolved, and Thomas had been considered a key person of interest for some time.
Thomas had been questioned multiple times by authorities in connection with the case. However, he had refused to meet in person for the latest round of questioning, opting for a video call instead. His attorney, Ed Blau, confirmed that Thomas had been speaking to detectives for approximately 45 minutes during the interview before the suicide occurred.
A Shocking and Tragic Event
Blau, who had represented Thomas since 2012, recounted the horrifying moment when Thomas took his life. “The phone landed right by his head so we got to hear him die, hear the death rattle,” Blau told The Oklahoman. “It was as shocking and horrific as you can imagine.”
OCPD Master Sergeant Gary Knight expressed the rarity of such an event. “I don’t remember in my time here, 35 years here, someone killing themselves during an interview,” he said. The interview had been a last-ditch attempt to gather answers from Thomas regarding the unsolved murder, and detectives had been hoping to get crucial information during the session.
Thomas’s Connection to the Mitchells
Thomas had previously denied any involvement in the murder. He had been linked to the Mitchell family through his business dealings with Teddy Mitchell, Julie’s husband. Teddy Mitchell had been convicted in 2014 for running an illegal gambling operation. At the time of his wife’s murder, Teddy Mitchell was away in California, and $30,000 was reported missing from the family’s safe.
While Thomas’s company checkbook had been found at the Mitchells’ property after the murder, he continued to deny any connection to Julie Mitchell’s death. In a 2012 interview, Thomas strongly rejected any involvement: “I — 100% — did not. That’s for sure.”
Further Investigation and Unanswered Questions
Thomas had reportedly played poker with Teddy Mitchell and had been involved in various business transactions with him, including helping Mitchell pay off his gambling debts. Despite Thomas’s consistent denials, authorities still considered him a person of interest in the case, especially given the financial ties and the circumstances surrounding Julie Mitchell’s death.
“I really hope you solve the case,” Thomas told OCPD’s Knight during a previous interview. Tragically, the answers they sought from Thomas will now remain forever unanswered.
The Ongoing Investigation
The OCPD and Blau’s law firm have not yet provided additional comment on the matter. With Thomas’s death, the investigation into Julie Mitchell’s murder remains open, and authorities are still looking for leads to solve the case.
