According to reports, a person of interest in a 2010 Oklahoma murder case committed suicide while being questioned by authorities via Zoom.
Michael Wayne Thomas, 54, committed suicide on Saturday, May 31, in a wooded area outside a Kansas casino, according to The Oklahoman, citing his attorney, Ed Blau.
The Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) had been questioning the man about Julie Mitchell, who was discovered beaten to death in her home in November 2010, while her 13-month-old baby lay by her side, according to local ABC affiliate KOCO. The case remains unsolved.
Blau had been representing Thomas since 2012, and he told KOCO 5 News that his client had already been interviewed five or six times by police. Thomas reportedly declined to be interviewed in person this time, opting for a video call.
According to The Oklahoman, Blau stated that his client, who had denied any involvement in the murder of 34-year-old Mitchell, had been speaking for approximately 45 minutes prior to his death.
“The phone landed right by his head, so we got to hear him die, the death rattle,” the attorney told the outlet on Tuesday, June 3. “It was as shocking and horrific as you can imagine.”
The OCPD’s Master Sergeant, Gary Knight, said of Thomas, “He agreed to be interviewed by detectives, but only on the condition that he not be in the same location. “He wanted to be like a Zoom call,” according to KOCO.
“Beggars can’t always be choosers, and this is someone we wanted and needed to speak with. There were questions we needed him to answer,” Knight said, adding that the questions went unanswered around 40 minutes into the call.
“He chose to pull out a pistol and shoot himself, ending his life,” Knight told the station. He went on to explain, “I don’t remember in my time here, 35 years here, someone killing themselves during an interview.”
According to The Oklahoman, Julie Mitchell was Teddy Mitchell’s wife, who had been accused in Oklahoma City federal court of allegedly hosting “illegal high-stakes poker games at his home and taking illegal bets on sporting events.”
According to an FBI Oklahoma City Division press release, Teddy Mitchell was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison in January 2014 for operating an illegal gambling operation.
Mitchell had been traveling to California when his wife died, according to The Oklahoman.
Julie Mitchell’s body was discovered in their home’s master bedroom closet, and $30,000 was reported missing from a closet safe, according to The Oklahoman.
Thomas’ company checkbook was previously discovered on the Mitchells’ property following the murder, but he has consistently denied any involvement in the killing, according to the outlet.
Thomas, who previously sold insurance in an Edmond office, reportedly told the FBI that he had played poker and placed bets with Teddy Mitchell, according to the outlet, citing a 2011 report. He also told authorities that Teddy Mitchell would become a partner in his company to help pay off his gambling debt, after providing him with vehicles and real estate insurance.
“I really hope you solve the case,” Thomas told OCPD officer Knight, according to The Oklahoman. The officer also stated that Thomas was still considered a person of interest in the unsolved investigation.
PEOPLE contacted the OCPD and Blau’s law firm for more information, but neither responded immediately.
