A wealthy Texas restauranteur and former pharmaceutical CEO murdered his pregnant wife and their two young children in a horror murder-suicide, the Daily Mail has learned. 

Matthew Mitchell, 52, has been named as the suspect in the tragedy in the affluent neighborhood of River Oaks in Houston, Texas on Monday night. 

Matthew was found dead alongside his pregnant wife Thy Mitchell and their two young children, aged eight and four, in the home. 

Authorities said Matthew is the suspect in the deaths. 

The couple owned the restaurant Traveler's Table in Houston, and Matthew was previously CEO of the Texas Center for Drug Development, according to his biography. 

A publicist for the family's restaurant told the Daily Mail that Thy was a 'dear friend', and said the family would not be releasing a statement as the investigation continues.  

Houston Police Department said they were called to the address shortly after 5:26pm on Monday night for a welfare check.

Police said it was a babysitter and a relative of one of the parents that alerted officers to have concerns after not hearing from the family.

Police said they entered the home to find the parents and their two children dead inside. 

The children had last been seen on Sunday, and had been found dead in their beds, reports Fox26. 

Authorities said they were treating the tragedy as a murder-suicide, but have not released any further details over the crime scene. 

The River Oaks community is among the most affluent in Houston, where multi-million dollar homes line the streets. 

A neighbor named Cindy told Click2 that she has lived in the neighborhood for 19 years, and had 'never seen anything like this.' 

'We haven't had these kinds of tragedies. We don't have robberies,' she said. 'I shake for the little kids.'