Austin Adam Kanuch was born on February 9, 1984. His parents are Floyd Kanuch and Celene Miller and he was the oldest of two boys in the family- his brother is Corbin Kanuch.
Austin grew up in Texas. He graduated from Langham Creek High School in Houston in 2002.
Austin loved music and sports and was a member of his local choir. Austin received a choir scholarship to Sam Houston State University. He attended college there and obtained a BA in Broadcasting and Journalism.
Austin married for the first time in 2008, to Amy. They had two daughters named Abigail and Amelia. The marriage lasted for around ten years and they divorced in 2018.
Austin married again, in 2020. His second wife was Mary. They had a son together named Pearce who was 23 months old as of September 2023. According to Austin’s obituary, Austin, Mary and the three children lived together in Houston.
In later years, Austin loved golf, going to concerts and BBQ. He worked as an Internet Sales Manager at West Houston Infiniti. He had been with the company since 2019 and had obtained a reputation as one of the dealership’s top-performing and most respected people.
According to family, to know Austin was to know a kind gentle man with a big heart. He lived his life large. He will be missed.
Austin and his family were living in a rental home on Green Leaf Lake Drive in Copperfield, Texas.
On Thursday September 21, 2023, Austin and Mary closed on a new home in Copperfield – close to where they had been living in their rental.
The following day was Friday September 22, 2023. Austin and Mary were at home with their son. Austin’s daughters from his previous marriage were not at the home on this day/night.
At 3.23am on September 22, surveillance cameras captured a person riding a mountain bike north on Spring Green Drive towards West Road. The person on the bike was described as thin and post-adolescent.
According to khou.com, the person hopped the fence of the Kanuch rental property and broke into the home. This happened at some point between 3.26am and 4.24am.
The intruder attacked Austin, fatally wounding him.
We can’t find it explicitly stated but it seems that Austin was attacked while in bed and Mary was likely in the same room. Comments online indicate that the attack happened just before the 911 call was made, so the perpetrator was likely on the property for around an hour beforehand.
According to Detective Kayne Turner, Mary called 911 as soon as the attack happened. It was even speculated that she called before the killer had left the property.
At 4.24am, the suspected killer was seen on CCTV leaving the Kanuch residence and cycling away. They headed south towards West Road.
The person was last seen on CCTV at 4.28am, traveling on West Road toward Telge Road. They then turned back south on Spring Green Drive, returning to the area where they were first seen.
The Harris County Medical Examiner listed Austin’s cause of death as Sharp Force Injury of the Neck.
A press conference was held and we learned that an edged weapon was found at the scene. Authorities also said that nothing appeared to have been stolen and they ruled out robbery as a motive. Detectives also said they believed the attack was targeted and was not random.
Austin’s wife Mary was ruled out as a suspect early on in the investigation.
Detectives canvassed the area and looked at CCTV. No clear motive or suspect has ever been publicly identified.
Austin’s friends and coworkers described him as peaceful and well liked. After investigation, police found no evidence of any criminal behavior or any disputes that would have led to his murder.
In September 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that his Public Safety Office is adding $20,000 to the previous Crime Stoppers reward of $20,000.
“Austin was a beautiful soul. He lived his life in the big way and had a big smile and a hearty life, and if you knew him, you knew that about him. He just filled the room,” Celine Miller, Austin’s mother, told KHOU 11 at the time.
Celine also spoke about the perpetrator in the case.
“I just feel like they’re a pure evil person with malicious intent, and I just am determined with my faith that we’re going to find this person and bring them to justice,” she said.
According to Khou.com, family members don’t believe the real estate deal had anything to do with Austin’s murder (they closed on the house the day before he died).
“Was there some disgruntled person he didn’t give a good car deal to? I mean, that kind of detail was searched and researched and nothing was found,” Harold Miller, Austin’s stepfather, said.
SOURCE LIST
https://everloved.com/life-of/austin-kanuch/obituary