Davos security chief dead in apparent suicide on eve of WEF

Markus Reinhardt, the police commander in charge of security at the World Economic Forum, has been found dead in an apparent suicide one day ahead of the conference.

Reinhardt, 61, was found deceased Tuesday morning in his hotel in Davos, and “all indications point to suicide,” the police of the south-eastern canton reported in a statement on their website. Reinhardt has headed up the police force in the canton since 1984.

The conference, which starts on Wednesday, is expected to draw 2,500 big shots to the Swiss Alpine resort. The event has drawn criticism, especially from those who oppose globalisation, but the suicide is said to be unrelated to the conference:

“This has nothing to do with (the meeting),” the spokeswoman told Dow Jones Newswires, pointing to the fact Reinhardt was a local police head.

Police Captain Marcus Suter is expected to take over for Reinhardt as security head for the World Economic Forum. No impact on the event is expected from the Reinhardt’s death, and officials described the incident as “a tragedy.”