Canada: Police say Jewish billionaire, wife apparently murdered

Police investigating the deaths of Toronto billionaires Barry and Honey Sherman say they were murdered. No suspects have been arrested. 

By: AP

Police said Friday they believe Canadian drug-company billionaire businessman Barry Sherman and his wife were both murdered.

Det. Sgt. Susan Gomes said investigators came to the conclusion after six weeks of investigation, but said there are no suspects.

The founder of generic drugmaker Apotex and his wife, Honey, were found dead in their mansion on Dec. 15. Gomes said the two were found hanging by belts from a railing that surrounds their indoor pool and were in a semi-seated position on the pool deck.

“We have sufficient evidence to describe this as a double homicide investigation and that both Honey and Barry Sherman were in fact targeted,” Gomes said.

She said they were last seen alive in the evening hours of Wednesday Dec. 13 and were not heard from again until their bodies were found late Friday morning.

Gomes said there are no signs of forced entry at access points of the home. She declined to discuss the evidence, possible motives or suspects.

“We haven’t developed any suspects,” Gomes said.

The day after the bodies were found, some prominent news media outlets quoted unidentified police officials as saying the deaths appeared to be a murder-suicide. That upset the couple’s four adult children, who then hired their own team of investigators and a pathologist, who conducted second autopsies on the Shermans.

The family said in a statement Friday that the new conclusion “was expressed by the family from the outset and is consistent with the findings of the independent autopsy and investigation.”

“The family continues to support the Toronto Police Service in their efforts to seek justice for their parents and pursue those responsible for these unspeakable crimes,” the statement added

Police have released the home back to the family.

Known for philanthropy

Toronto police investigators have scoured the 12,000-square-foot home, hauled away the couple’s cars and even checked the sewers in one of Toronto’s most exclusive neighborhoods for clues. Police have taken 125 witness statements and analyzed the surveillance video in the neighborhood.

Canadian Business magazine recently estimated Sherman’s worth at 4.77 billion Canadian dollars ($3.65 billion), making him the 15th richest person in the country.

As they became wealthy, the couple became known for philanthropy. They gave tens of millions to the United Jewish Appeal, donated to a geriatric hospital in Toronto and sent medicine to disaster zones. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the funeral, and Sherman is posthumously due to receive one of the country’s highest civilian honors this year.

Friends and family say the couple had been making plans for the future.