An empty chair at the Denton County Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday served as a solemn reminder of the tragedy Commissioner Bobbie J. Mitchell and her family faced the day before.
She and her husband, Fred Mitchell, sustained stab wounds from an attack in their Lewisville home early Monday, police reported. The commissioner’s husband died of his wounds, and the couple’s grandson is charged with murder.
As Bobbie Mitchell continues to recover from her injuries in the hospital, her fellow commissioners in attendance Tuesday, Dianne Edmondson and Ryan Williams, said Bobbie Mitchell would want the county to continue the important work it does in her stead.
Still, the Commissioners Court did not go about business per usual without first taking the time to honor Bobbie and Fred Mitchell.
County Judge Andy Eads commenced with a few words about his long-standing friendship with the Mitchell family. He said he’s known Bobbie Mitchell since he was a child in the 1970s, as she has been good friends with Eads’ mother since then.
“Commissioner Bobbie J. Mitchell and her family suffered an unfathomable tragedy yesterday,” Eads said. “... As we wish only the best for Bobbie, who is on the road to recovery, we also deeply mourn the loss of her husband, Fred.”
Eads has also known Fred Mitchell nearly all his life. As “vibrant” as the commissioner is, Eads said, Fred Mitchell was “equally just as quiet.” He loved racing, Texas Motor Speedway and fishing.
Fred was not as much of a fan of the galas that his wife’s station entailed, Eads said, but he was always excited to see Bobbie Mitchell and Eads off as they headed out to events. And eager to welcome her home.
“While he may not have been elected, may not have been appointed, he, too, served as well, being that ever-supportive political spouse,” Eads said. “... Fred supported Bobbie every step of the way. And we have him to thank for her public service as well.”
Eads thanked not just the Denton County community, but also people from across the state and the nation who have reached out to support the commissioner and her family.
A public prayer vigil for Mitchell took place Monday night at Westside Baptist Church in Lewisville, Denton County’s Facebook page said. Officials also set up a banner where people can leave messages for Mitchell outside the Denton County Precinct 3 Government Center, 400 N. Valley Parkway in Lewisville.
Residents, friends and loved ones had already taken to signing the banner on Tuesday, even sending flowers and “get well soon” gifts to display, as well.
Along with a multitude of supportive words from local officials, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a press release with words of consolation:
“Cecilia [Abbott] and I are heartbroken to hear of the passing of Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell’s husband, Fred Mitchell, after they were brutally attacked in their home this morning. I thank the Lewisville Police Department and other first responders for their quick response and for rushing Commissioner Mitchell to the hospital. Cecilia and I pray for Commissioner Mitchell as she recovers from her injuries and for Fred Mitchell’s family and loved ones as they mourn his death.”
The governor appointed Bobbie Mitchell to the Commission on State Emergency Communications in 2023. As part of the state commission, she is charged with administering Texas’ 911 service program and poison control program.
Bobbie Mitchell has served and continues to serve on so many boards, Eads said, that it would take him a long time to recite them all. Her biography on the county’s website names over 50 offices she has held and boards and clubs she has partaken in.
To name a few, she served on the Lewisville Zoning Board of Adjustment in 1985, then on the Lewisville City Council for three years before she was elected as the city’s first Black mayor in 1993. She stepped down from that role in 2000 to be elected to the Denton County Commissioners Court.
She has given so much of her time and energy to others for over 40 years, Eads said.
“As Bobbie has prayed over so many of us over the years, now it is our time to pray for her,” Eads said. “... Please join me and our entire Denton County family in lifting up every member of the Mitchell family — all four generations — as they traverse these uncharted waters.”