Read as article
Bryn Walker Founders Found Dead: Family Cites Crisis
By @sharedot · · 8 pages
- Fashion
- Bryn Walker
- Oakland
Outlets report Bryn Walker co-founders Michelle Min and Bryan Walker were found shot dead in Oakland Hills as police probe a possible murder-suicide.
What Happened on Panoramic Way
Michelle Min, 63, and Bryan Walker, 61, the married co-founders of the luxury women's fashion brand Bryn Walker, were found shot dead outside their Oakland Hills home on the 400 block of Panoramic Way just before 11 a.m. on October 2, per multiple outlets. Oakland police, leading the investigation, recovered a firearm at the scene and said detectives have not ruled out murder-suicide or determined who fired the weapon. Police say they are not seeking additional suspects.
Why the Fashion World Is Stunned
The deaths upend one of American fashion's quieter success stories. Bryn Walker was founded in Berkeley in 1992 as a small retail store and grew into a nationally distributed label: per the company's website, it operates six company-owned stores and wholesales to roughly a thousand boutiques nationwide. The couple met in the Midwest in the 1980s before Min began designing her own clothing and accessories, building manufacturing and wholesale operations in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Family's Account
Min's brother, Paul Min, told the Los Angeles Times he believes Walker shot his sister of over 30 years before taking his own life, though police have not confirmed that account. According to Paul Min, Walker had lost millions — he cited losses of well over $100 million to the New York Post — through risky financial decisions and had grown increasingly depressed. He said Walker once suggested the three of them 'end things,' and that he and his sister were planning to institutionalize Walker the very day the couple was found dead.
The Evidence Outlets Cite
Surveillance footage reviewed by CBS reportedly captured a gunshot at 10:43 a.m., followed by the sound of a man crying and screaming, then a second shot before going 'dead quiet.' The Independent's bulletin reports authorities recovered a suicide note containing phone passcodes, while Paul Min told the New York Post he later found a note listing treatment facilities. Newsweek reports police have not announced conclusions and the investigation remains active.
A Legacy and a Community Mourns
Paul Min described his sister, who immigrated from Korea in 1977 and helped raise him, as 'utterly devoted' to her husband, saying she told Walker in her final moments, 'Bryan, you've been sick.' He says he plans to run the company while the family reorganizes its finances. Berkeley residents held a vigil for the couple, and a bouquet and handwritten closure notice appeared outside a Bryn Walker storefront, according to KTVU footage cited by Fox News.
What Comes Next
Oakland police tell Fox News Digital the case 'remains an active and ongoing investigation,' and authorities are asking anyone with information, photos or video to contact the Homicide Section. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988 in the US, and befrienders.org lists international helplines.
Sources
- newsweek.com › Couple behind women's luxury fashion brand found dead
- foxnews.com › Luxury fashion designers found shot dead in California
- the-independent.com › Co-founders of luxury women's fashion brand found shot dead at their California home
- independent.co.uk › Founders of luxury fashion brand found dead in California home