One
of two bodies is removed from the home of billionaire founder of
Canadian pharmaceutical firm Apotex Inc., Barry Sherman and his
wife Honey, who were found dead under circumstances that police
described as "suspicious" in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, December
15, 2017. REUTERS/Chris Helgren
Chris
Helgren/Reuters
Toronto police are now investigating billionaire
pharmaceutical entrepreneur Barry Sherman and his wife's deaths
as a double homicide.
The couple died of strangulation by hanging in their
home in December. There is so far no evidence of forced
entry.
There had been speculation in the media that Sherman
had murdered his wife before then killing himself, but now both
the police and the couple's family have thrown cold water on
these claims.
Police in Toronto are officially investigating the deaths of
billionaire pharmaceutical entrepreneur Barry Sherman and his
wife Honey as a
double homicide after their bodies
were discovered in the basement of their home in December.
Friday's announcement comes after six weeks of evidence gathering
and confirms the suspicions initially expressed by the rest of
Sherman's family.
Detective sergeant Susan Gomes discussed the circumstances of the
couple's death for the first time, and stated the pair were
discovered hanging by belts from a railing next to an indoor pool
in the basement of the couple's $5.4 million mansion.
Police had previously confirmed that the cause of death had
been "ligature neck compression" — strangulation from
tying or binding. Their bodies were first found by a real estate
agent who had been preparing the mansion, which the Shermans had
recently put up for sale, for an open house.
But as was originally reported, there is still no evidence
of anyone forcibly entering the home.
Competing narratives and speculation
The
Shermans' home in Toronto, marked off by police
tape.
Rob
Gillies/AP
In the weeks since the Shermans' deaths, there had been
reports in the media that cited "a Toronto police
source" that claimed the deaths were the result of a
murder-suicide committed by Barry Sherman, but there has been no
official evidence put forward by police that would confirm this.
The family also put out a statement deriding the accusations.
"Our parents shared an enthusiasm for life and commitment to
their family and community totally inconsistent with the rumors
regrettably circulated in the media as to the circumstances
surrounding their deaths," the statement read. "We are shocked
and think it's irresponsible that police sources have reportedly
advised the media of a theory which neither their family, their
friends nor their colleagues believe to be true."
As a result of their lack of confidence in the police, the family
hired
private investigators in December who promised
to "ensure that no stone is left unturned."
Sherman, 75, founded Apotex in 1974, and it is now one of the
world's biggest pharmaceutical companies. The couple were known
for their philanthropy, giving tens of millions of dollars to
hospitals, universities, and Jewish organizations.
The family's political activities before the homicides have
come under increased scrutiny since their deaths.
Just before his death, Sherman was attempting to sideline
an investigation into whether a political fundraiser he held for
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau in 2015 violated lobbying
rules, according to the
Toronto Star.
But since the homicides occurred, there has been no
evidence linking this activity to Sherman and his wife's
death.
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