OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - A person of interest in connection to a murder that happened 15 years ago killed himself while on a Zoom phone call with detectives as they were questioning him.
On Saturday, May 31st, Michael Wayne Thomas, 54, shot himself in the head in a wooded area outside a Kansas casino after rambling on a virtual call with detectives for about 45 minutes, The Oklahoman reported.
"The phone landed right by his head so we got to hear him die, hear the death rattle," attorney Ed Blau said. "It was shocking and horrific as you can imagine."
In November 2010, Julie Mitchell was beaten to death in her house with her 13-month-old baby right by her side, untouched. Her body was found in the master bedroom closet and about $30,000 was missing from a closet safe.
Detectives first focused on Thomas back in 2012, but nearly 15 years after the horrific incident, the case still was not solved.
Blau said that he has represented Thomas since 2012 and that his client has been interviewed five or six times by police, KOCO reported. During this round of investigations, Thomas refused to talk in person.
"He had agreed to be interviewed by detectives, but only on the stipulation that he wasn't going to be at the same location. He wanted to be in a manner like a Zoom call," Master Sgt. Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department. said.
Police said most interviews are in a controlled environment and in person, so this was unusual. But, they needed answers. "Beggars can't always be choosers, this is somebody we wanted to talk to, we needed to talk to. There were questions we needed to have answered by him," Knight said.
However, 40 minutes into the call, those questions still were left unanswered. "He chose to pull out a pistol and shoot himself, ending his life," Knight said.
"I don't remember in my time here, 35 years here, someone killing themselves during an interview." Thomas was never arrested or charged with a crime.
Blau said he did not know Thomas was in Kansas until after the suicide. "I'm just worried about my daughter's safety," Blau recalled Thomas saying right before the shooting.
Thomas also told a police detective on the phone, "I really hope you solve the case," Knight said.
One of the detectives on the phone, Bryn Carter, said that Thomas didn't give them the chance to ask any questions.
"He controlled the conversation from start to finish," Carter said. "In 31 years on the police department doing hundreds and hundreds of interviews, I've never had anyone commit suicide in front of me."
Julie Mitchell was the wife of Teddy Mitchell. She was 34 years old when she was murdered. Teddy Mitchell was indicted after her death and accused in Oklahoma City federal court of hosting illegal high-stakes poker games at his home and taking illegal bets on sporting events.
In 2014, Teddy Mitchell was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for his bookie activities and for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
He was traveling to California at the time of his wife's death. Thomas has always denied his involvement in the fatal beating, even though his company checkbook was found at the home after the killing.
Thomas sold insurance out of an office in Edmond. He told the FBI that he played poker at Teddy Mitchell's house and placed sports bets with the bookie. He also provided insurance to Teddy Mitchell on vehicles and real estate.
He also told the FBI that he let Teddy Mitchell become a partner in his insurance business as a way to repay his gambling debt. Thomas claimed that Teddy Mitchell thought his wife Julie was going to divorce him.
At the time of his death, it is unclear where Thomas was living. He reported in a 2011 bankruptcy case that he was living in Edmond. He reported in a 2022 bankruptcy case that he was living in Oklahoma City.
On Saturday, May 31st, Michael Wayne Thomas, 54, shot himself in the head in a wooded area outside a Kansas casino after rambling on a virtual call with detectives for about 45 minutes, The Oklahoman reported.
"The phone landed right by his head so we got to hear him die, hear the death rattle," attorney Ed Blau said. "It was shocking and horrific as you can imagine."
In November 2010, Julie Mitchell was beaten to death in her house with her 13-month-old baby right by her side, untouched. Her body was found in the master bedroom closet and about $30,000 was missing from a closet safe.
Detectives first focused on Thomas back in 2012, but nearly 15 years after the horrific incident, the case still was not solved.
Blau said that he has represented Thomas since 2012 and that his client has been interviewed five or six times by police, KOCO reported. During this round of investigations, Thomas refused to talk in person.
"He had agreed to be interviewed by detectives, but only on the stipulation that he wasn't going to be at the same location. He wanted to be in a manner like a Zoom call," Master Sgt. Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department. said.
Police said most interviews are in a controlled environment and in person, so this was unusual. But, they needed answers. "Beggars can't always be choosers, this is somebody we wanted to talk to, we needed to talk to. There were questions we needed to have answered by him," Knight said.
However, 40 minutes into the call, those questions still were left unanswered. "He chose to pull out a pistol and shoot himself, ending his life," Knight said.
"I don't remember in my time here, 35 years here, someone killing themselves during an interview." Thomas was never arrested or charged with a crime.
Blau said he did not know Thomas was in Kansas until after the suicide. "I'm just worried about my daughter's safety," Blau recalled Thomas saying right before the shooting.
Thomas also told a police detective on the phone, "I really hope you solve the case," Knight said.
One of the detectives on the phone, Bryn Carter, said that Thomas didn't give them the chance to ask any questions.
"He controlled the conversation from start to finish," Carter said. "In 31 years on the police department doing hundreds and hundreds of interviews, I've never had anyone commit suicide in front of me."
Julie Mitchell was the wife of Teddy Mitchell. She was 34 years old when she was murdered. Teddy Mitchell was indicted after her death and accused in Oklahoma City federal court of hosting illegal high-stakes poker games at his home and taking illegal bets on sporting events.
In 2014, Teddy Mitchell was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for his bookie activities and for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
He was traveling to California at the time of his wife's death. Thomas has always denied his involvement in the fatal beating, even though his company checkbook was found at the home after the killing.
Thomas sold insurance out of an office in Edmond. He told the FBI that he played poker at Teddy Mitchell's house and placed sports bets with the bookie. He also provided insurance to Teddy Mitchell on vehicles and real estate.
He also told the FBI that he let Teddy Mitchell become a partner in his insurance business as a way to repay his gambling debt. Thomas claimed that Teddy Mitchell thought his wife Julie was going to divorce him.
At the time of his death, it is unclear where Thomas was living. He reported in a 2011 bankruptcy case that he was living in Edmond. He reported in a 2022 bankruptcy case that he was living in Oklahoma City.
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