Former SFPD Deputy Chief, Family Victims of Suspected Murder-Suicide
A friend revealed Ann Mannix had expressed marital difficulties before the tragedy at the family's Bay Area home.
Ann Mannix, a former deputy police chief in San Francisco, her husband Kevin Mannix, a retired sergeant, and their 24-year-old daughter Katie were found dead in their Mill Valley home Sunday evening in what authorities are investigating as a murder-suicide.
The Marin County Sheriff's Office responded to the $2 million residence around 5 p.m. and discovered the bodies of the three family members. Preliminary investigations suggest a male gunman, identified as Kevin Mannix, was responsible for the deaths.
A close friend of Ann Mannix, who had known her for over 60 years, told the California Post that Ann had been experiencing marital turmoil with Kevin prior to the incident. "We talked about her relationship with her husband," the friend stated. "It wasn't great." However, the friend added that they were not aware of any estrangement between the couple.
The friend described Ann as a "wonderful mother" with hopes of becoming a grandmother. Their daughter Katie, who was studying to be a nurse, was remembered by her cousin Brendan as being "fun, silly, the life of the party." Brendan also wrote on Facebook that Katie "had her whole life ahead of her" and possessed a "big heart."
Ann Mannix was also lauded as a "pioneer" in the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), with her cousin noting she "looked out for the women coming up behind her and helped open doors for them." Ann served as deputy chief of the SFPD Field Operations Bureau in 2018 and led the Special Operations Bureau in 2019. She was also the first woman to lead the SFPD's SWAT team.
Kevin Mannix retired from the SFPD in June 2018 after 27 years of service. A former colleague, retired captain Alexa O'Brien, described Kevin as appearing "vanilla" and someone who did not project an image of a person capable of extreme violence. "When he would talk to us police officers, or if I took a class and he spoke in the class, there wasn’t anything that would strike me or give me any indication he would ever do this," O'Brien said. She characterized him as having a "good, easy temperament."
San Francisco Police Chief Derrick Lew informed the department of the deaths, stating, "It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Ann and Kevin Mannix."
The San Francisco Police Officers Association issued a statement expressing that the suspected murder-suicide "has left our entire SFPD family reeling." The association highlighted Ann's trailblazing career and Kevin's "27 years of dedicated service." "To see their lives, and the life of their 24-year-old daughter Katie, end in such a horrific and senseless manner is a burden that weighs heavily on every officer, active and retired," the statement read.