Top French-Swiss chef found dead in apparent suicide — police

FILE PHOTO

GENEVA, Switzerland — Top French-Swiss chef Benoit Violier, 44, of Switzerland’s three-star Michelin restaurant, Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville, was found dead at his home on Sunday in an apparent suicide, police said.

“Late in the afternoon, police… went to Crissier where they discovered at his home the body of Mr Benoit Violier,” Swiss police said in a statement, adding that it appeared he had shot himself.

Crissier, near the southwestern Swiss city of Lausanne, is the location of Violier’s restaurant.

The eatery was last year crowned the “world’s best restaurant” by France’s “La Liste” ranking which named 1,000 top establishments in 48 countries.

The gastronomic guide is the French foreign ministry’s answer to the UK-based World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Swiss police said an investigation had been opened into the death

“Out of respect for the family”, Swiss authorities would make no further comment, police added.

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