Updated

Updated · Deadline · Oct 14

Bob Odenkirk Mourns RJ Mitte, 34, as Suicide Death Draws More Breaking Bad Tributes

Updated

Updated · Deadline · Oct 14

Bob Odenkirk Mourns RJ Mitte, 34, as Suicide Death Draws More Breaking Bad Tributes

Q: What hidden circumstances prompted authorities to launch an ongoing investigation into the sudden death of the beloved Breaking Bad star?

Authorities began the investigation because RJ Mitte’s death was sudden and unattended, and officials had not yet made an official determination on the cause and manner of death. Brownsville police said those findings remain pending. Reporting beyond the initial announcement indicates the key circumstance drawing scrutiny is that Mitte is believed to have died by suicide. TMZ, citing a county official and law-enforcement sources, reported that he died by suicide in Texas on Monday, while police said the death investigation is still ongoing. That means investigators are working to confirm the circumstances through standard procedures such as scene review and medical examiner findings. So, the “hidden circumstances” were not publicly disclosed by his representatives in the first reports, but subsequent reporting pointed to an apparent suicide, which is why authorities opened and continue to pursue an active investigation until an official ruling is issued. If you or someone you know may be in crisis, call or text 988 in the U.S. for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Q: Why was the 34-year-old actor in Texas, and what specific details are authorities withholding about his tragic passing?

RJ Mitte was in Brownsville because he had moved there after *Breaking Bad* ended and had become deeply involved in the community through the Mitte Foundation and the Mitte Cultural District, according to local officials and community statements. As for his death, authorities have not publicly released the cause or manner of death. Brownsville police said both remain pending an official determination as part of an ongoing investigation. Brownsville Justice of the Peace Judge Cyndi Hinojosa said she pronounced him dead at 1:32 p.m. Monday but could not disclose the cause. That means officials are withholding the specific medical and investigative findings — including what caused his death and whether it has been formally classified as natural, accidental, suicide, or otherwise — until the investigation is complete. His representatives also declined to provide those details and asked for privacy for his family and loved ones.

3 articles · Updated · Deadline · Oct 14

Bob Odenkirk called RJ Mitte a “good person” whose positivity and willingness to help others made news of his death “simply, deeply sad.”
Mitte’s representatives said the 34-year-old died by suicide in Brownsville, Texas, after earlier reports said police found him dead at home Monday and an investigation was underway.
Bryan Cranston, who played his on-screen father, said he was in “deep despair,” recalling recent texts about meeting for lunch and calling the loss of Mitte’s promise and potential devastating.
Mitte, who played Walter White Jr. on Breaking Bad and had cerebral palsy like his character, was also known as a disability rights advocate and philanthropist.