Porn king's son held on murder charge THE ARREST OF JAMES MITCHELL Son of O'Farrell Theatre co-founder held in ex-girlfriend's beating death

The victim's mother, Claudia Stevens, right, got a hug from a friend outside the home Claudia shared with Danielle. The son of former porn king Jim Mitchell was arrested for murder of Danielle Keller and the kidnapping of his one year old daughter. less The victim's mother, Claudia Stevens, right, got a hug from a friend outside the home Claudia shared with Danielle. The son of former porn king Jim Mitchell was arrested for murder of Danielle Keller and the ... more Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Porn king's son held on murder charge 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

The Mitchell Brothers family, which pushed all things X-rated into San Francisco's social consciousness and was later rocked by fratricide, has recorded a tragic new chapter with the arrest of the son of one of the porn kings on charges of bludgeoning to death the mother of his young daughter.

James Raphael Mitchell of Pittsburg, the 27-year-old son of Jim Mitchell, allegedly beat Danielle Keller to death with a baseball bat Sunday evening at the home she shared with her mother in Novato, then fled with the couple's daughter - who turned 1 year old that day.

With police around the state hunting for him, Mitchell was arrested just before midnight after he pulled off Interstate 80 in Citrus Heights (Sacramento County). His daughter, Samantha Mitchell, was unharmed.

Keller, 29, was found dead in her backyard just before 7 p.m. Sunday. A blood-soaked bat was found nearby, police said.

In addition to being Samantha's birthday, Sunday was the second anniversary of the death of Jim Mitchell, who served prison time for killing his brother and longtime business partner, Artie Mitchell.

"It's kind of madness here," said Terence Hallinan, the former San Francisco district attorney who knew Jim Mitchell and is representing his son. "Nothing really makes sense."

Trying to make a break

Keller's mother, Claudia Stevens, described her daughter as a dedicated mother who had decided to make a clean break from James Mitchell after two years of what she called abusive behavior.

"Thank God they caught him so he can be held accountable," Stevens said.

Mitchell was booked on suspicion of murder, child abduction and other charges. He is being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. today in Marin County Superior Court.

Keller met Mitchell at a San Francisco nightclub, Stevens said, and they quickly became a couple. Within a few months, Keller was pregnant.

The couple bought a home in Pittsburg, but Keller moved back in with her mother several months ago and filed a restraining order against Mitchell after a series of frightening incidents, Stevens said. Keller had sole custody of the couple's daughter.

Stevens said Mitchell had violated the order once before, briefly holding her and her daughter hostage at the Novato home about a month ago. Police said that case had been forwarded to prosecutors.

Keller had been receiving counseling at Marin Abused Women's Services and joined the Novato Mothers Club while she looked for a job, her mother said.

'He was bad news'

"She was moving on," said Gina Stahl-Ricco, 29, who went to Novato High School with Keller and babysat Samantha. "She knew he was bad news, and she was afraid of him. But she never expected this. You don't think that could happen with someone you once loved."

Stevens said she will raise Samantha.

James Mitchell's mother, Mary, said he had been distraught over not being able to see his daughter and had been enrolled in court-ordered anger-management classes.

"He was trying to be a good father, and he loved his child so much," she said. "He didn't want to lose her, and that's part of why it happened.

"He was dangerous for one moment, and he went too far."

James Mitchell is listed on jail records as a theater owner. An employee of the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre, the San Francisco porn venue founded in 1969 by Jim and Artie Mitchell, said James Mitchell was a beneficiary of a trust that owns the theater.

The Mitchell brothers produced a string of pornographic movies, including "Behind the Green Door," featuring Marilyn Chambers in 1972. But their outlandish partnership - recounted in books and a television movie - came to a tragic end.

Father's conviction, death

Jim Mitchell was convicted of manslaughter and served three years in prison for kicking down the door of his brother's Corte Madera home in February 1991 and shooting him to death. He said that he had intended to confront Artie Mitchell over drug and alcohol abuse and that the situation had spun out of control.

Jim Mitchell died of a heart attack in July 2007 at his ranch in western Sonoma County at age 63. About 300 mourners came to his funeral, including former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.

James Mitchell took his father's killing of his uncle hard, his mother said.

"I had him in therapy for years," she said. "That was a horrible, horrible event in his life."