Prominent Melbourne nightclub owner Darren "Razzle" Thornburgh has been found dead in his country home after both his nightclub and his former wife's home were hit by drive-by shootings last year.
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The Age has confirmed Mr Thornburgh was found dead at his property in the small town of Barmah on the Victorian-NSW border on Monday afternoon.
He died of head injuries.
Police were called to the Evans Street address about 4.30pm on Monday where they reportedly found the dead man on a mattress on the front porch.
Mr Thornburgh's white Range Rover was parked out the front.
Cobram Crime Investigation Unit detectives together with the Homicide Squad are investigating.
A crime scene has been established and the exact circumstances surrounding the man’s death are yet to be determined.
A post mortem will be conducted on Tuesday.
Police urged anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or file a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
Mr Thornburgh owned high-profile Prahran nightclub Boutique, but the Greville Street nightspot was shutdown two weeks ago following a dispute with the landlord.
The flamboyant nightclub owner also owns the Barmah Hotel. The hotel refused to comment.
The death is being treated as suspicious, a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
Mr Thornburgh had been in the town for at least a week and locals said he would stay in his Barmah home once a month but this time, he stayed longer than normal, Channel Nine reported.
Last year shots were fired into Boutique nightclub in Melbourne's inner south-east when a man armed with a shotgun got out of a car that had pulled up outside the Prahran nightclub and blasted at least three shots into the front of the building.
Days later, Mr Thornburgh's former wife and her teenage daughter were left shaken after shotgun fire peppered their luxury Port Melbourne house in a drive-by shooting.
Denise Thornburgh and her teenage daughter were asleep inside the upmarket, cream-coloured home on Beacon Vista, when shots were fired at their home.
Five shots were fired: one into the back screen of the car, two into the garage, one above, and one into the side of the door.
Police said there was a link between the Boutique club incident and the Port Melbourne shooting, describing the drive-by shooting as a "cowardly act" targeting innocent bystanders.
Barmah has a population of 181, according to the 2011 Census.
