San Francisco Murder-Suicide: Family of Four 'Facing Financial Ruin' Before Shocking Tragedy

The quiet streets of San Francisco's Westwood Park were shattered this week by a horrific tragedy that left four members of one family dead inside their home.

Police identified the victims as Thomas 'TR' Ocheltree, 57, his wife Paula Truong, 53, and their daughters Alexandra, 12, and Mackenzie, 9. Investigators believe Truong, who had been struggling with mounting debts and failed business ventures, killed her husband and children before taking her own life in what they describe as a murder-suicide.

Officers were called to the property on Monday morning after a neighbour reported unusual silence and unanswered messages. Inside, they found all four victims dead from apparent gunshot wounds.

According to investigators, the family had faced severe financial pressure in recent years. Truong, once described as a driven entrepreneur, had suffered repeated business failures and defaulted on large loans. Friends said she had become increasingly withdrawn and overwhelmed.

'They were such a kind family,' said neighbour Belinda Hanart. 'But lately, we noticed less movement at the house. It felt quiet, almost too quiet.'

From Ambition To Ruin

Truong, who emigrated from Vietnam and later took her husband's surname, married Ocheltree in 2006. Together, they built a life that, from the outside, appeared stable and comfortable.

Before moving to Westwood Park, the couple owned a property on 24th Street in the Mission District. They lived upstairs and leased the ground floor to Wise Sons Deli, a well-known local restaurant.

'They were very supportive landlords,' said Evan Bloom of Wise Sons. 'From what I saw, they were a warm, normal family.'

But behind that image of stability, cracks had already begun to form. Truong was described by her longtime tax accountant as a 'driven and accomplished entrepreneur', yet her ventures never found lasting success.

Her Vietnamese coffee chain, Orbit Coffee, which once aimed to bring modern flair to traditional iced coffee, shut down all its branches. Another venture — a deli-turned-boutique liquor store on Monterey Boulevard — closed in 2023 after just three years. The former owner of the property said the couple 'raised prices and scared away all the locals'.

Debt And Foreclosure

Truong, who emigrated from Vietnam and later married Ocheltree in 2006, appeared to have built a comfortable life. Before moving to Westwood Park, the couple owned a Mission District property leased to Wise Sons Deli.

'They were very supportive landlords,' said Evan Bloom, co-founder of the restaurant. 'From what I saw, they were a warm, normal family.'

Behind that façade, however, Truong's finances were collapsing. Her Vietnamese coffee brand Orbit Coffee shut down after several years, and a deli-turned-liquor shop she opened on Monterey Boulevard closed in 2023.

By 2019, Truong had accumulated more than $2.7 million (£2.16 million) in loans, including $500,000 (£400,000) from private lenders. Public records show the couple took out a $2.24 million (£1.79 million) second mortgage in 2022 and later defaulted.

Their Monterey Boulevard home was foreclosed and sold at auction in late 2024 for $2.05 million (£1.64 million), before being leased back to them by a financial firm.

Court filings from April 2025 also show Truong had been ordered to pay $18,000 (£14,400) in credit card debt, further deepening her financial crisis.

A Desperate Final Message

Police said the person who discovered the bodies was Robert Ocheltree, Thomas's brother. He became concerned after not hearing from the family for several days.

When he first visited on Monday, Truong allegedly answered the door and told him her husband was away on a golfing trip and had lost his phone. The next day, Robert received a disturbing text from her: 'He is not himself, and the girls and I are scared.'

Unable to reach them again, he returned on Wednesday and forced his way inside, where he found the bodies.

Thomas and the children were discovered in their beds. Truong was found hanged in the garage. Police believe the killings occurred several days earlier.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of death but said evidence suggests a violent domestic incident followed by suicide.

Lives Built, And Lost

The couple also operated Zentrum Motors, an auto repair shop in West Oakland that remains open. Records show they may have transferred ownership of their home to the business to secure loans.

Friends and neighbours remain devastated. 'You never really know what is happening behind someone's front door,' said Hanart. 'It is heartbreaking. They had everything to live for.'

In a statement to ABC 7 News, a relative said: 'Thomas Ocheltree and his beautiful daughters are the real victims here. They played no part in this tragedy.'

For many, the case reflects the pressures of financial failure in a city where appearances often mask desperation. San Francisco's soaring costs and post-pandemic struggles have left many small-business owners teetering on the edge.

In Westwood Park, where families pride themselves on neighbourly closeness, the tragedy has left a lasting wound. The family's bins still sit untouched by the curb, a chilling reminder of lives once filled with promise but ended in despair.