The co-founders of a luxury women’s fashion brand, Bryn Walker, were found dead outside their Oakland Hills home Friday morning.
Oakland police, who are primarily investigating the incident, have not ruled out the possibility of a murder-suicide or determined who pulled the trigger, but the investigation continues. Police said they recovered a firearm at the scene.
Paul Min, 58, the brother of Michelle Min, 63, who was found dead at home, believes his sister was killed by her husband, Bryan Walker, 61, before Walker killed himself.
The married couple co-owned the Bryn Walker brand.
According to the Berkeley and Oakland police departments, responders arrived at the home Friday morning, shortly after receiving reports of gunshots being heard in the affluent neighborhood near the UC Berkeley campus. The house is located in an area straddling the two cities.
According to video surveillance reviewed by CBS, a gunshot was heard at 10:43 a.m. Immediately afterward, the sound of a man crying and screaming is audible. A second shot is then heard, before falling silent, CBS reported.
CBS did not air the video.
According to Paul Min, who lives in Carmel, the couple had been married for more than 30 years.
Min said he was filled with rage toward his brother-in-law, Walker, for allegedly killing his sister. But he also said he was incredulous; describing him as “the most honest, responsible and hardworking man you have ever known,” adding: “I loved him like a brother. »
He struggles to reconcile the man he believes killed his sister with the man he has known and loved for nearly 40 years. He said Walker lost millions of dollars in recent months through a series of risky financial moves. The financial loss left Walker depressed, anxious and possibly suicidal.
He said Walker had recently suggested all three – Paul Min, Michelle Min and Walker – “end things”.
Min said he and his sister were alarmed by the suggestion, but not for their own well-being. He said the idea that Walker would or could harm them was absurd to both of them. Min said Walker was always kind and dedicated his life to the Min family.
But the siblings were concerned about Walker’s mental health and agreed he should be committed.
He said the plan was to take her that same day. He does not know if or when Walker was alerted to this possibility, nor if it was the reason for the murders.
“I found a note that lists a few facilities,” Min said. “I guess he saw that note or somehow understood that it was going to put him in an institution, but I have no idea.”
He said that although Walker was discouraged by the change in their finances, his sister didn’t seem too demoralized. For years, she wanted to live more simply. She had expressed a desire to leave the Bay Area.
The couple owned a miniature Australian Shepherd named Pip. Min said Pip was present when they died and is now being cared for by a friend.
The Mins and their sister Alexandra immigrated to the United States from Korea in 1977 with their parents. They moved to Kansas and lived outside of Kansas City.
Min said Michelle Min, who was five years older, was like a mother to him. He said their parents had little money and worked multiple jobs to keep the family afloat. He said they left in the morning when he woke up and often didn’t come home until after they had fallen asleep.
His older sister stepped in, cooked his meals and went to school and doctor’s appointments with him.
He said both of his parents had died in the past 10 years – his father suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and his mother from liver failure. He said Min and Walker took care of them, spending time at the hospital and at their home to tend to their needs.
When Min contracted stage 4 colorectal cancer a few years ago, her sister and brother-in-law were constantly there by her side.
He said the couple met in Kansas City in the 1980s. Walker was originally from Iowa and attended Iowa State University to study philosophy. Michelle Min was a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied fine arts.
The couple followed Min’s parents to California and settled in Berkeley.
The couple opened a small clothing store where they sold a mix of products from other vendors, Min said. Michelle Min started designing her own clothes and accessories, “and eventually the whole inventory became her business, and that’s where it all started.”
He said they opened a store on 4th Street and Telegraph in Berkeley, then opened another, “and then they opened a factory and started selling wholesale, and the business just took off.”
According to Bryn Walker’s webpage, the brand operates six company-owned stores “and sells wholesale to approximately a thousand boutiques nationwide.”
Min said that after police left the scene of the shooting, they left the house unlocked. He said images of the house and its address quickly appeared on news sites. Although he is not certain, Min believes that some elements may have been removed.
He now resides in the house and said people have tried to break in since he arrived.
The Oakland Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Suicide Prevention and Crisis Counseling Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, seek professional help or call 988. The three-digit national mental health helpline will connect callers with qualified mental health counselors. Or text “HOME” to 741741 in the United States and Canada to reach the crisis text line.
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