Colin Devlin Found Dead in Pennsylvania

The award-winning owner of several popular Brooklyn restaurants was found dead in his car at a Pennsylvania cemetery Thursday afternoon from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law-enforcement official said.

NYPD had been searching for Colin Devlin, 42  years old, since he disappeared Wednesday following a business meeting in which he learned his restaurants were suffering from financial troubles, the official said.

Pennsylvania State Police found Mr. Devlin dead in his car near a cemetery in Fogelsville, Pa., from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the official said. Police have recovered the gun. 

There was no note in the car. It will be up to the local medical examiner to determine an exact cause of death.

Police say Mr. Devlin was last seen around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when he left his home on Devoe Street in the Williamsburg neighborhood.

Mr. Devlin, a Philadelphia native, is the co-owner of DuMont and DuMont Burger, restaurants that are seen as pioneers in Brooklyn’s farm-to-table movement.

Mr. Devlin’s wife told investigations that her husband became depressed after a business meeting, the official said.

“He had received news about being declined for a business loan, and his businesses were in financial decline,” the official said.

The official said Mr. Devlin’s wife became concerned for her husband’s welfare and learned of a text message  at 4:18 p.m. Thursday that asked her to take care of their children.

She told police that Mr. Devlin might be heading to Pennsylvania, where they have a second home and where he has access to a .38 caliber revolver that was stored in the home’s safe, the official said.

Police were able to determine Mr. Devlin’s car entered the Holland Tunnel at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, the official said.

The official said investigators determined that Mr. Devlin’s phone was off line and no money had been stolen from any of his businesses.

Mr. Devlin had recently been forced to close Dressler, the most upscale of his restaurants last month, after he was not able to come to terms with the landlord on a lease renewal, according to a message on the restaurant’s website.

Read more: WSJ