Novato, Calif. — The son of porn pioneer Jim Mitchell was arrested Sunday night for murdering the mother of his one year old daughter.
James Raphael Mitchell, 27, was captured in Sacramento after a five hour police manhunt that began in Novato. According to Novato authorities, Mitchell murdered the victim at her home on Diablo Court Sunday evening and fled with their one-year-old daughter Samantha Mitchell. Samantha was recovered unhurt.
“We're certainly pleased the child was located, unharmed, and our resources are now going to be focused on the criminal investigation,” said Novato police Sgt. Jennifer Welch.
The victim’s mother Claudia Stevens told police that her daughter had sole custody of Samantha and had returned to live with her after filing a restraining order against Mitchell.
The suspect’s father, porn legend Jim Mitchell, ran the infamous O'Farrell Theater in San Francisco with his younger brother Artie. The brothers produced the classic 1972 Marilyn Chambers hit Behind the Green Door, The Resurrection of Eve, Autobiography of a Flea, and Sodom and Gomorrah; along the way, they were arrested hundreds of times and successfully beat numerous obscenity charges.
Jim shot Artie to death in 1991 and was sentenced to three years in San Quentin State Prison for involuntary manslaughter. Jim died of a heart attack at his Sonoma County ranch home in July of 2007. He was 63.