Edited by: TJVNews.com
Police are asking for the public’s help after releasing video of a suspect in the killing of Canadian drug company billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife four years ago, according to an AP report.
Toronto Det. Sgt. Brandon Price said Tuesday the suspect spends “a very suspicious amount of time” in the immediate area of the Sherman home around the time the Sherman’s were murdered.
Price provided the public with security camera footage of a man or woman walking down a sidewalk with a hat who seems to kick up his or her right boot as they takes each step. The video does not show the suspect’s face. Price estimated the person is 5-6 to 5 foot-9 tall.
Police are asking for the public’s help to identify the suspect.
The AP also reported that Sherman, who founded generic drugmaker Apotex Inc., and his wife, Honey, were found dead in their Toronto mansion on Dec. 15, 2017. The two were hanging by belts from a railing that surrounds their indoor pool and were in a semi-seated position on the pool deck.
Sherman, 75, was known for litigiousness and aggressive business practices as he developed Apotex, which had a global work force of about 11,000. In “Prescription Games,” a 2001 book about the industry, he mused that a rival might want to kill him.
Police are asking for the public’s help after releasing video of a suspect in the killing of Canadian drug company Jewish billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife four years ago. #barrysherman @cityoftoronto pic.twitter.com/7vrfLr9LcY
— The Jewish Voice (@JewishVoice) December 15, 2021
Price said they have largely eliminated everyone else picked up on security footage in the area. He said they have a great deal of confidence the suspect is linked to the scene. Police have other videos of the suspect but said the video released is the best footage.
“This individuals actions are highly suspicious,” Price said.
The couple was among Canada’s most generous philanthropists, and their deaths shocked Canadian high society and the country’s Jewish community, according to the AP report. They made numerous multimillion-dollar donations to hospitals, schools and charities and had buildings named in their honor. They hosted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a Liberal Party fundraiser in 2015.
Yahoo! Finance reported that Honey Sherman served on the boards of several charities and was known for her philanthropic work. She was considered more outgoing than her husband, who reportedly preferred to focus on his work. The couple were major donors to The United Way and gave $50 million to the United Jewish Appeal and other Jewish charities, even though Mr Sherman considered himself an atheist, as was reported by Yahoo Finance.
AP reported that 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.
Yahoo Finance reported that the Shermans were last seen alive on December 13th at Apotex headquarters, where they were going over design changes to a new house they were building. Honey Sherman was preparing to visit Miami several days later, and Barry Sherman planned to join her a week after her departure.
When he returned home that day, Mr Sherman sent a routine email to his staff, but did not call anyone, which his employees thought was odd as he reportedly suffered from insomnia, as was reported by Yahoo Finance.
When found several days later, both of their necks had been tied with leather belts to a metal railing that surrounded the pool. Mr Sherman was in a seated position with his legs crossed, and Ms Sherman was lying on her side, with a bruise on her face.
Police later said publicly they believed the Shermans were murdered, according to the AP report.
Sherman faced legal action from cousins who said they had been cut out of the company over the years. A judge dismissed the claim just months before the couple was found dead. (Sources: AP, Yahoo! Finance)
