Nephew pays tribute to ex-SFPD deputy chief and daughter killed

The nephew of San Francisco’s former deputy police chief has paid tribute to his aunt and her 24-year-old daughter after they were shot dead by the deputy police chief’s husband, saying the killings left their family “heartbroken” and “forever changed.”

Retire Deputy Chief of Police Ann Mannix, 65, and Katie were gunned down by retired police sergeant Kevin Mannix, 68, before he turned the weapon on himself Sunday night, according to police.

The three bodies were found at a home in the affluent Marin County, across the bay from San Francisco.

Brendan Mannix remembered his Aunt Ann Mannix as a trailblazer who helped other women advance in the San Francisco Police Department, and his cousin Katie as an aspiring nurse who often sent loved ones messages of encouragement.

He also tore into his uncle Kevin for the “senseless act of violence” that had left him “lost for words.”

“My beloved aunt, retired Deputy Chief Ann Mannix, and my dear cousin, Katie Mannix, lost their lives in a senseless act of violence. We’re heartbroken, lost for words and forever changed,” he wrote on Facebook.

Katie Mannix was close to fulfilling one of her dreams, Brendan Mannix said.

“My sweet Katie had her whole life ahead of her. She was so close to following in her older sister Lauren’s footsteps and becoming a nurse,” he wrote.

“Katie was the kind of person who would send you a random text just to say she loved you or to give you encouragement when you needed it. She had such a big heart and a way of making people feel special. It hurts knowing she won’t get to live out the dreams she was so excited about.”

Brendan Mannix also reflected on his aunt’s rise through the police department and her commitment to supporting the women who followed her.

“My aunt Ann was a pioneer in the SFPD. She worked her way up to Deputy Chief, but she never forgot where she started. She looked out for the women coming up behind her and helped open doors for them. I’m so proud of what she accomplished and the example she set,” he wrote.

Brendan Mannix, who also served as a San Francisco police officer, said working alongside relatives was “one of the greatest honors of my life.”

“I’ll always treasure that,” he added.

He thanked police officers, friends and community members who had reached out to the family.

“Your love and support mean more than I can put into words,” he wrote.

Brendan asked supporters to keep his two surviving cousins in their prayers as the family grieves.

“My heart is especially with my two surviving cousins. Please keep them and our family in your prayers,” he wrote.

“I know I’ll carry this loss for the rest of my life. Aunt Ann and Katie, I love you both and miss you more than I can say. I find comfort knowing our Lord and Savior is holding you in His arms, free from pain and suffering. Until we meet again.”

San Francisco police officers confirmed the deaths. Chief Derrick Lew wrote a department-wide message saying the agency was sharing the news “with heavy hearts.”

Chief Lew added: “Please keep their family in your prayers. BSU is available to all members who may need it during this difficult time.”

A close family friend, who said she was Ann Mannix’s best friend of 60 years, also confirmed the deaths to The California Post, adding: “This is so sad for me. She was my best friend of 60 years. Love her, she didn’t deserve this.”

Deputies who responded to the scene after 5 p.m. found all three dead inside the home.

Shots were fired in the Strawberry Circle neighborhood, which is an unincorporated area of Strawberry east of Mill Valley, according to a news release.

Police arrived within minutes to the home and reached out to the person who made the initial call. That person had left the home, according to the sheriff’s office.

The perimeter around the residence was secured for further investigation. Detectives with the sheriff’s office investigations unit were still at the scene Sunday night.

“There is no known threat to the community,” they said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Ann Mannix climbed the ranks of the San Francisco Police Department, becoming deputy chief of the Field Operations Bureau in 2018 before taking charge of the Special Operations Bureau in 2019, according to department records.

She also made history as the first woman to serve on the department’s SWAT team and eventually lead the unit.

Her husband Kevin Mannix retired from the SFPD in June 2018 after serving 27 years on the force.

A close family member who spoke with The California Post confirmed that the relationship between Ann and Kevin was “not great” and that the two had their difficulties, but didn’t foresee this happening. 

They also said that to their understanding, the two were not estranged. 

In a farewell letter published by Taraval Station following Kevin Mannix’s retirement, he looked back on the friendships he had built throughout his career and expressed his desire to spend more time with loved ones.

“I leave the SFPD, but I am taking your friendships with me forever,” he wrote.

After the shooting Sunday night, San Francisco’s Police Officer’s Association said in a statement: “It is with profound sadness, shock, and heavy hearts that we address the devastating news that emerged out of Marin County on Sunday evening.

“The 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.

“There 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.

“Ann Mannix was a trailblazer in our department—becoming the first woman to join and lead the SWAT team, and rising to lead both the Field Operations and Special Operations Bureaus.

“Many worked alongside Kevin during his 27 years of dedicated service at Taraval Station and beyond. 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.”

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said: “I am deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of retired SFPD Deputy Chief Ann Mannix and her daughter, Katie.

“Deputy 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.”

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