Authorities are continuing to piece together the events leading up to a devastating domestic tragedy involving chef Matthew Mitchell, after newly reviewed phone records and home surveillance footage revealed what may have been the final message he sent to his wife before the shooting inside their family home.

According to investigators familiar with the case, the message contained only five words — but prosecutors believe those words reflected growing tensions that had been building privately for months.

Police responded to the residence late Tuesday evening after neighbors reported hearing multiple gunshots followed by screams coming from inside the home. Officers arrived to find a chaotic scene that investigators later described as “deeply traumatic” for everyone involved.

Court documents state that Mitchell’s wife suffered fatal injuries inside the residence, while other family members present were left in severe emotional distress. Authorities have not publicly released the exact wording of the final message, but sources close to the investigation say it appeared to reference an escalating dispute involving relatives on the wife’s side of the family.

Detectives are now examining weeks of text messages, financial records, and prior calls between the couple in an attempt to determine how the conflict spiraled into violence.

“The evidence suggests this was not an argument that began overnight,” one law enforcement source said. “There were signs of prolonged emotional strain inside the household.”

The case has drawn intense public attention after prosecutors played portions of home surveillance footage during a recent court hearing. While the footage reportedly does not capture the shooting itself, investigators say it helps establish the timeline leading up to the incident and supports witness testimony regarding the deteriorating atmosphere inside the home.

Family members described Mitchell in conflicting ways during interviews with police. Some portrayed him as increasingly withdrawn and emotionally unstable in recent months, while others insisted the tragedy was completely unexpected.

Meanwhile, relatives of the victim say they are still searching for answers.

“We may never fully understand what caused this,” one family member reportedly told investigators after the hearing. “But we know a family was destroyed in one night.”

Authorities have not announced whether additional evidence from phones or digital devices will be introduced in future proceedings. The investigation remains ongoing.