Longtime Denton County Commissioner and trailblazing Texas Republican Bobbie J. Mitchell was stabbed early Monday morning in a violent attack that left her hospitalized and her husband, Fred Mitchell, dead.
According to a press release from the Lewisville Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call about an assault in progress at around 3:53 a.m. in the 1000 block of Springwood Drive. When they arrived, they found Commissioner Mitchell and her husband suffering from multiple stab wounds.
The suspect, identified as Mitchell’s grandson, 23-year-old Michell Blake Reinacher, was still on scene and taken into custody without incident. Emergency personnel transported both victims to local hospitals.
While Commissioner Mitchell, 79, is currently listed in stable condition, her husband, Fred, was pronounced dead shortly after 5:00 a.m.
The Denton County Sheriff’s Office urged the public to pray for the Mitchell family in a social media post Monday morning, writing, “Please pray for Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell and her family.”
Police identified the suspect as the couple’s 23-year-old grandson, Mitchell Blake Reinacher. He was still at the home when officers arrived and was taken into custody without incident, police said.
Reinacher has been booked into the Lewisville Jail and is facing charges of Murder and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the motive and circumstances behind the attack. The crime scene remained active throughout the morning as detectives processed evidence and interviewed witnesses.
Commissioner Mitchell, a Republican, has served Denton County with distinction for over two decades. First elected to the County Commissioner’s Court in 2000, she previously made history as the first Black mayor of Lewisville, serving from 1993 to 2000.
Her record of public service stretches back to the 1980s, where she began on the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment before advancing to the City Council and eventually the mayoral office.
Mitchell’s impact on the community is deeply felt across political and civic lines. A member of Love Chapel C.O.G.I.C. since 1959, she is known for her steady leadership, commitment to youth and community programs, and decades of volunteer service on countless boards, including the Salvation Army, United Way, YMCA, and Denton County Friends of the Family.
Beyond her work in government, Mitchell was a fixture in the local business community, retiring from GTE in 1993 after 20 years in management. She raised two children with her late husband, Fred, and is a grandmother and great-grandmother many times over.
“This news will have a profound impact on our community,” Rachel Roberts, a Lewisville police spokeswoman, said. “The City of Lewisville stands united in rejecting violence and remains committed to justice, peace, and the safety of all who live and serve here.”
“My dear friend, colleague and mentor Precinct 3 Commissioner Bobbie J. Mitchell has suffered a huge tragedy this morning,” Denton County Judge Andy Eads wrote. “I ask that you keep her and her family in your prayers as she recovers.” He also remembered Fred Mitchell as a “longtime friend” who “will be greatly missed.”
State Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, echoed the call for prayer in his own public message. “Please join Leslie and me in prayer for Denton County’s most beloved public servant, Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell, as she attempts to recover from this attack while mourning the death of her husband, Fred,” Patterson said.
