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Gustavo Arnal, 52, died from "multiple" blunt force trauma, the
office said.
The suicide came days after the struggling retailer announced it
was closing stores and laying off workers.
It also comes after Arnal as well as the company were sued on
Aug. 23 over accusations of artificially inflating the firm's
stock price in a "pump and dump" scheme, with the lawsuit
alleging Arnal sold off his shares at a higher price after the
scheme.
The company said it was "in the early stages of evaluating the
complaint, but based on current knowledge the company believes
the claims are without merit."
Arnal joined Bed Bath & Beyond in 2020. He previously worked as
CFO for cosmetics brand Avon in London and had a 20-year stint
with Procter & Gamble Co, according to his LinkedIn profile.
On Friday at 12:30 p.m. ET (1630 GMT), police responded to a 911
call and found a 52-year-old man dead near the building who
suffered injuries from a fall. Police identified the man as
Arnal. Bed Bath & Beyond confirmed his death in a press
statement on Sunday but gave no details.
The big-box chain - once considered a so-called "category
killer" in home and bath goods - has seen its fortunes falter
after an attempt to sell more of its own-brand goods. Last week,
Bed Bath & Beyond said it would close 150 stores, cut jobs and
overhaul its merchandising strategy in an attempt to turn around
its money-losing business. It forecast a bigger-than-expected
26% slump in same-store sales for the second quarter and said it
would retain its buybuy Baby business, which it had put up for
sale.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by
Christopher Cushing)
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