{"id":494631,"date":"2026-10-13T12:21:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T12:21:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/494631\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T12:21:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T12:21:23","slug":"bay-area-police-couple-had-turbulent-marriage-before-murder-suicide-friend-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/494631\/","title":{"rendered":"Bay Area police couple had turbulent marriage before murder suicide, friend says"},"content":{"rendered":"

San Francisco\u2019s former deputy police chief and her husband had a turbulent marriage before he shot her and their daughter<\/a> dead, a close family friend told The California Post.<\/p>\n

Ann Mannix, 65, and Katie, 24, were killed by Kevin Mannix, 68, at their Marin County<\/a> home Sunday evening, before he turned the gun on himself.<\/p>\n

A close family friend who had known Ann Mannix for more than 60 years said the former top cop had revealed to her that there were difficulties in her marriage.<\/p>\n

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Ann Mannix, 65, was killed by her husband Kevin Mannix, 68, at their Marin County home Sunday evening. Photo \u2013 Ando Caulfield for Drew<\/p>\n

Katie Mannix (left, with her siblings), 24, was killed by her father Kevin Mannix before he turned the gun on himself. Facebook\/@katie.mannix.5<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked about her relationship with her husband,\u201d the friend said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t great.\u201d But as far as the friend knew, Ann and Kevin Mannix were not estranged.<\/p>\n

Retired captain Alexa O\u2019Brien, a former colleague of Ann and Kevin Mannix, described Kevin as quiet, mild-mannered, and someone who never appeared capable of such violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was very, I don\u2019t know how to say it, but vanilla,\u201d O\u2019Brien said. \u201cThey were an interesting couple. She had to be like six inches taller than him, and he was little. If anybody was to look at a tough person, you\u2019d look at Ann as the tough one. That\u2019s just how I viewed them.\u201d<\/p>\n

A close friend who had known Ann Mannix for decades said the former top cop had spoken of difficulties in her marriage. abc7<\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien said Kevin Mannix\u2019s reserved personality stood in stark contrast to that of Ann\u2019s, who rose through the ranks of the San Francisco Police Department to become deputy chief.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not a Type A personality kind of guy,\u201d O\u2019Brien said. \u201cWhen he would talk to us police officers, or if I took a class and he spoke in the class, there wasn\u2019t anything that would strike me or give me any indication he would ever do this.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had a good, easy temperament,\u201d the former colleague added.<\/p>\n

The close family friend of Ann\u2019s added she never imagined their lives would end this way. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine having that happen or doing that. So it caught me by surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

She remembered Ann Mannix as a devoted mother who hoped to become a grandmother soon. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe was a wonderful mother. She had high hopes of being a grandmother soon,\u201d the friend said. \u201cYou know, she was a friend to everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two friends met when they were five and lived across the street from each other in San Francisco\u2019s Richmond District.<\/p>\n

Deputies were dispatched to the home on Strawberry Circle after a 5:03 p.m. call reporting gunfire.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were best friends. We were playmates. We learned everything together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Their friendship endured across decades and states. They spoke about twice a week, and Ann Mannix last visited the friend in the summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went to dinner. We have a pool, so we swam. We just hung out and just kind of spent time together,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n

The friend described Ann Mannix as caring, smart and strong, with a sense of humor and athletic ability that stood out from childhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was super athletic. She always did everything better than me growing up. She was funny, you know. She was very civic-minded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katie, who was also killed, was studying to become a nurse. She shared her mother\u2019s desire to help others, the friend said. \u201cKatie was fun, silly, the life of the party.\u201d<\/p>\n

Officers arrived at the Marin property within minutes and contacted the caller, who had safely left the home. abc7<\/p>\n

Deputies were dispatched to the home on Strawberry Circle after a 5:03 p.m. call reporting gunfire, according to the Marin County Sheriff\u2019s Office. The residence is in Strawberry, an unincorporated community east of Mill Valley.<\/p>\n

Officers arrived within minutes and contacted the caller, who had safely left the home. They secured the perimeter before entering and discovering three people dead inside.<\/p>\n

Detectives continued investigating the scene Sunday night. \u201cThere is no known threat to the community,\u201d the sheriff\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n

San Francisco Police Chief Derrick Lew notified department personnel of the deaths Sunday night, writing that he was sharing the news \u201cwith heavy hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease keep their family in your prayers. BSU is available to all members who may need it during this difficult time,\u201d he wrote, referring to the department\u2019s behavioral science unit.<\/p>\n

Ann Mannix built a groundbreaking career in the San Francisco Police Department, becoming the first woman to join its SWAT team and later the first woman to lead it.<\/p>\n

A close friend remembered Ann Mannix as a devoted mother who hoped to become a grandmother soon. Linkedin\/@AnnMannix<\/p>\n

She rose to deputy chief of the Field Operations Bureau in 2018 and took charge of the Special Operations Bureau the following year, according to department records.<\/p>\n

Kevin Mannix retired from the department in June 2018 after 27 years of service.<\/p>\n

In a farewell letter published by Taraval Station the following month, he reflected on the relationships he had formed during his career and his plans to spend more time with family and friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cI leave the SFPD, but I am taking your friendships with me forever,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

The San Francisco Police Officers Association mourned the family in a statement following the shooting.<\/p>\n

Kevin Mannix retired from the department in June 2018 after 27 years of service.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tragic loss of retired Deputy Chief Ann Mannix, her daughter Katie, and retired Sergeant Kevin Mannix in a suspected murder-suicide has left our entire SFPD family reeling,\u201d the union said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no words that can fully capture the depth of this tragedy, nor are there simple answers to the painful questions we are all asking.\u201d<\/p>\n

The association praised Ann as a trailblazer and acknowledged the officers who had worked alongside Kevin Mannix during his decades on the force.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo 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,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

Ann\u2019s close family friend said her loss would continue to be deeply felt.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was just a wonderful, wonderful person, and she will be deeply missed by many.\u201d<\/p>\n

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said: \u201cI am deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of retired SFPD Deputy Chief Ann Mannix and her daughter, Katie.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeputy Chief Mannix dedicated decades of her life to serving San Francisco. She was a trailblazer in the police department, becoming the first woman to join and lead the SWAT team and rising to lead both the Field Operations and Special Operations Bureaus.\u201d<\/p>\n

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