Gay porn star reported missing from convention after being found dead in Loop

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - A gay porn star who was found dead Friday morning at a restaurant in the Loop was reported missing over a day later from an adult entertainment convention he was attending in northwest suburban Rosemont.

Nicholas Hanlon, 26, of Scottsdale, Arizona, was found unresponsive about 11:25 a.m. Friday in the bathroom of the Qdoba restaurant at 175 W. Jackson Blvd., according to Rosemont police, Chicago Police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Hanlon was taken to Rush University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead less than 15 minutes later, Rosemont police and the medical examiner’s office said.

An autopsy conducted Saturday was inconclusive, with results pending further studies, the medical examiner’s office said.

Hanlon performed in adult films under the alias Dave Slick, according to website registration records. On Wednesday, he tweeted that he would be attending the eXXXotica Expo adult entertainment convention, which ran from Friday through Sunday at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center at 5555 N. River Road in the northwest suburb.

At 2:29 p.m. Saturday, Hanlon was reported missing from the convention, Rosemont police said. After contacting the medical examiner’s office, investigators learned that he had died over a day earlier.

Hanlon was last seen with a friend about 1 a.m. Friday in Chicago, Rosemont police said. He last contacted someone using his phone about 7 hours later.

Falcon Studios, a San Fracisco-based gay porn production company that contracted Hanlon, confirmed the performer’s death in a tweet Monday.

“We offer our heart-felt [sic] condolences to Dave’s family, friends and loved ones” the company tweeted. “His contagious joy and the moments we shared with him will be missed always.”

Chicago Police were conducting a death investigation.