Tanya Tandoc Dead: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

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A Kansas-based celebrity chef was killed inside her home in Wichita. The chef was Tanya’s Soup Kitchen owner Tanya Tandoc. She was 45 years old. A local musician has been named by police in the city as the suspect in the killing.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. The Suspect Has Been Named as Curtis Mitchell, Who Identified Himself as Her Boyfriend to Police

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KWCH reports that police were called to her home, along the 200 block of South Minneapolis in Wichita, at around 11:30 p.m. on the night of June 4. It was then that cops made the grisly discovery. Tandoc was dead as a result of blunt force trauma. An arrest has been made in the case, reports Kansas.com. The suspect has been named as Curtis Mitchell, 47.

He’s been booked on charges of first-degree murder. KSN reports that it was Mitchell who made the 911 call. When he spoke to an operator Mitchell said that he just killed his girlfriend, according to police.

2. She Just Divorced on June 2 From Her Husband, Split Lip Rayfield Mandolin Player Wayne Gottstine

She was married to prominent Wichita musician Wayne Gottstine, a mandolin player. He’s in the Kansas-based band Split Lip Rayfield. According to a 2011 article in The Wichita Eagle, Gottstine oversaw the renovations at his wife’s restaurant. He called that work far less than stressful than being on the road with his band for their “rabid fan base.” A friend of Tandoc told Heavy.com that the couple quietly divorced on June 2, just days before the murder.

3. In Addition to Her Cooking, Tandoc Was a Belly Dance Teacher

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According to her LinkedIn page, Tandoc worked as a restaurant consultant, food stylist, a commentator on KMUW and as a belly dance instructor. She has run Tanya’s Soup Kitchen since September 1995. Tandoc writes on her page:

I’m the owner and headmistress at Tanya’s Soup Kitchen, 1725 East Douglas, in lovely Wichita, Kansas. My job is to lead our team and create a fun environment to eat great food. I’m also a multimedia artist and a Fat Chance Bellydance Certified Instructor, teaching classes all over the area.

In a Business Journal article about Tandoc it says that she grew up in Newton, Kansas and went to Kansas University. Following graduation, she moved to San Francisco where she worked in radio. Tandoc returned to Wichita in the mid-90s after getting bitten by the food bug in the Bay Area.

Read More From Heavy

Curtis ‘Curt’ Mitchell: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

4. Tandoc Was on Radio on May 29 Telling the World About How to Buy a Good Cooking Pot

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She did her last segment on KMUW on May 29 where she told people about the finer points of buying a good pot. Tandoc says “The heaviness of the bottom will keep food from scorching, especially if you’re going to be simmering for a long time.” Her last update on the social media for Tanya’s Soup Kitchen came on June 3 and announced the return of Summer Sammies. On the restaurant’s Facebook page, Tanya’s is described as:

Tanya uses as many fresh, local ingredients as possible with a menu that is flexible and seasonal. The core menu will feature dishes that diners will remember from the original Tanya’s Soup Kitchen, as well as daily specials to add variety to take advantage of the availability of locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.

The restaurant is vegan and gluten-free friendly.

5. Tandoc Is Being Openly Mourned on Twitter

There’s been an outpouring of emotion on Twitter following the news of Tandoc’s death.