A murder-suicide inside one of Houston's wealthiest neighbourhoods has left an entire community struggling to understand how a family known for success, travel and hospitality ended in unimaginable violence.

Police say restaurateurMatthew Mitchellfatally shot his pregnant wife, Thy Mitchell, and their two children, Maya and Max, inside the family's River Oaks home before taking his own life. The case has stunned many because of the family's polished public image – a pattern seen in several of the world's most haunting familicide cases, where devastation unfolded behind seemingly ordinary doors.

Houston Police were called to the Mitchell family's Kingston Street home on 4 May after a babysitter and a relative became concerned when they had not heard from the family for more than a day.

A post shared by Thy Mitchell (@thy_travelers)

Inside the upscale River Oaks property, officers found Matthew Mitchell, 52, his wife Thy Mitchell, 39, and their children — eight-year-old Maya and four-year-old Max — dead from gunshot wounds. Authorities believe Matthew killed his family before turning the gun on himself.

Police have not publicly released a motive, and investigators say there were no knowndomestic violence reportslinked to the home before the killings.

The tragedy sent shockwaves through Houston's restaurant scene, where the couple were known as the faces behind Traveller's Table and Traveller's Cart. Friends and colleagues described the pair as ambitious, creative and deeply involved in the community.

One of the most infamous murder-suicide cases in modern American pop culture involved former WWE star Chris Benoit in June 2007.

Investigators said Benoit strangled his wife Nancy before killing their 7-year-old son Daniel inside their Georgia home. He later died by suicide in his home gym.

The killings unfolded over several days and stunned wrestling fans worldwide. Later examinations found Benoit suffered severe brain trauma linked to repeated concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, commonly known as CTE.

Source: International Business Times UK