Co-founders of Bryn Walker fashion brand found dead in Oakland Hills

Michelle Min, 63, and Bryan Walker, 61, were found dead outside their Oakland Hills home Friday. Police have not ruled out murder-suicide; a firearm was recovered at the scene.

Luxury fashion brand owners found dead outside Oakland home

The co-founders of California-based women's clothing label Bryn Walker were found dead outside their Oakland Hills residence on Friday morning, latimes.com reports. Michelle Min, 63, and her husband Bryan Walker, 61, had built the brand into a nationwide wholesale operation spanning roughly a thousand boutiques.

Oakland police, the lead agency on the case, recovered a firearm at the scene but have not yet determined who fired the weapon or officially ruled out a murder-suicide. The investigation remains ongoing.

Michelle Min's brother, Paul Min, 58, told the Los Angeles Times he believes Walker shot his sister before taking his own life. "I have found a note that lists a couple of facilities," Min said. "I speculate he saw that note or somehow figured out she was going to institutionalize him, but I have no idea."

Gunshots captured on surveillance video

Officers from the Berkeley and Oakland police departments responded to the affluent neighbourhood near the UC Berkeley campus — an area that straddles both cities — after receiving reports of gunshots Friday morning. According to surveillance footage reviewed by CBS, a first shot was audible at 10:43 a.m., followed immediately by the sound of a man crying and screaming. A second gunshot was then heard before the recording fell silent.

Financial losses preceded the deaths

Paul Min, who lives in Carmel, said the couple had been married for more than 30 years. He described Walker as "the most honest, responsible, hardworking guy you have ever known," adding, "I loved him like a brother." Yet Min said Walker had lost millions of dollars in recent months through a series of risky financial decisions. The losses had left Walker depressed, anguished and, Min believed, possibly suicidal.

Walker had recently suggested to Paul Min and Michelle Min that the three of them "end things," Min said. The siblings were alarmed, though not out of fear for themselves — the idea that Walker could harm them seemed absurd, Min said, given Walker's years of kindness and devotion to the Min family. Their concern was for Walker's mental health, and together they agreed he needed to be admitted to a psychiatric facility.

"The plan had been to take him that very day," Min said. He does not know whether Walker was aware of those arrangements before the shooting.

While Walker had grown despondent over the reversal in their finances, Michelle Min had appeared more resilient. For years she had expressed a wish to live more simply and to leave the Bay Area.

A family business built from a Berkeley shop

Michelle Min and Bryan Walker were co-owners of the Bryn Walker label, a luxury women's fashion brand headquartered in California. According to the brand's website, the company operates six company-owned stores and wholesales to approximately a thousand boutiques across the United States.

Paul Min said the business began as a small clothing store in Berkeley selling merchandise from various vendors. Michelle Min gradually began designing her own pieces; eventually the entire inventory consisted of her work. The couple later opened a store on 4th Street and Telegraph in Berkeley, expanded to a second location, then built a factory and moved into wholesale. "The business just took off," Min said.

The Min family's history

Michelle Min, Bryan Walker and Paul Min's younger sister Alexandra immigrated to the United States from Korea in 1977 with their parents, settling near Kansas City, Kansas. Walker was originally from Iowa and studied philosophy at Iowa State University. Michelle Min earned a fine arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis. The couple met in Kansas City in the 1980s, later following Michelle's parents to California and settling in Berkeley.

Paul Min described his sister, five years his senior, as a maternal figure. Their parents worked multiple jobs and were rarely home; Michelle stepped in, preparing meals and accompanying him to school and medical appointments. Both parents died within the past decade — their father from Alzheimer's disease, their mother from liver failure — and Michelle and Walker provided sustained care throughout both illnesses.

When Paul Min was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer several years ago, Michelle and Walker remained a constant presence at his side.

Security concerns at the property

After police departed the scene, Min said the house was left unsecured and images of the property — including its address — appeared on news websites. Min, who has since taken up residence at the house, said individuals had attempted to break in following his arrival. He also said he suspects some items may have been removed from the property, though he is not certain.

The couple's miniature Australian shepherd, Pip, was present at the time of the deaths and is now being cared for by a friend, Min said.

The Oakland Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)