Twitter/Linda Frum Senator Linda Frum shared this photo after Honey Sherman's death was announced, writing, "Two weeks ago it gave me immense joy to present a Senate medal to one of the kindest and most beloved members of Canada’s Jewish community. Today I am gutted by the loss of Honey and Barry Sherman. Our community is steeped in grief. I am heartbroken."
Honey Sherman, the wife of Canadian billionaire Barry Sherman, was mysteriously found dead with her husband hanging in their luxury Toronto mansion, and police are calling the deaths suspicious. Later reports said that the Shermans may have died in a “murder suicide,” but the family has pushed back at those claims, and the homicide unit is investigating.
Bizarrely, the Shermans – he was 75, she 70 – were both found “hanging from a railing that surrounds a lap pool inside the house,” the Toronto Sun reports, adding that the bodies were found in a basement area of the mansion. Barry Sherman made his fortune by founding the global generic drug giant Apotex Inc. Both of the Shermans were well known in Canada for their philanthropy. There are indications that Honey Sherman was killed first, Toronto Sun reported.
However, family members have pushed back at the murder-suicide claims, releasing a statement to the Globe and Mail that read, “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. 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.” Autopsies showed the cause of death was ligature neck compression, and the homicide unit is now investigating the case.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Police Labeled the Deaths ‘Suspicious’ After Being Called to the Home for a ‘Medical Complaint’ & the Family’s Experts Think It Was a Double Murder, Reports Say
NEW: Canadian PM Trudeau says he’s “saddened” by the deaths of billionaire philanthropists Barry & Honey Sherman, found dead in their Toronto mansion. “Our condolences to their family & friends, and to everyone touched by their vision & spirit,” he said. t.co/SGcVS3dxvP
Toronto homicide Det. Brandon Price told reporters “that police ‘cannot say 100 per cent with certainty’ whether or not foul play was involved,” CBC reported. New details have emerged via sources in the Toronto Sun.
“Sources say investigators found the Shermans, side by side, in their windowless pool room, each with a men’s leather belt wrapped around their necks and tied to the pool railing. Both had on jackets that were pulled ‘behind their backs’ and rolled down over their arms. It is believed the camera in the pool area had been disconnected,” reported the newspaper.
Police were first alerted that something was amiss at the Sherman mansion when they were called there for a “medical complaint,” according to Fox News. It’s not clear who made that call. Const. David Hopkinson would not identify the bodies, Fox reported, but he said the deaths were “suspicious.”
“The circumstances of their death appear suspicious and we are treating it that way,” Hopkinson said at a news conference outside the mansion, according to Fox. However, Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins identified the two bodies as those of Barry and Honey Sherman. He also said that police were still investigating what happened inside the Sherman dwelling.
According to Fox News, “The constable declined to say whether the bodies showed signs of trauma and did not provide details on the time or cause of death. However, he said the deaths were currently not being treated as homicides but added that more investigation would be necessary.”
As for the possibility of a murder-suicide, which police have not yet confirmed, the Toronto Sun indicated that police sources believe Honey may have been killed first. “Sources close to the case believe Honey may have been killed in a secondary location in the $6.9 million Old Colony Rd. house and then moved to the location where she was later found with her deceased husband,” reported the Toronto newspaper. The Sun reported that police sources say there was no evidence anyone else had been in the home or that there was forced entry.
According to the Star, experts hired by the family not think the deaths were a double murder. “Barry and Honey Sherman were killed in what looks like a professional, contract killing. That’s the conclusion of a variety of experts who have been hired by the family to probe the case,” the newspaper reported, adding, “There are markings on the Shermans’ wrists, an indication that at some point their hands were tied together, though no rope or other ties were found near the bodies. Toxicology tests on their bodies reveal no sign of drugs that would have contributed to their deaths. Men’s leather belts found around their necks were the cause of the ‘ligature compression’ that killed them. A top forensic pathologist who did a second autopsy determined this was a double homicide, barring any new information that surfaces.”
2. The House Was For Sale & a Real Estate Agent Discovered the Bodies
Philanthropists Barry and Honey Sherman found dead in York Mills home t.co/1vzAvgxZ96
Philanthropists Barry and Honey Sherman found dead in York Mills home t.co/1vzAvgxZ96
A real estate agent made the grisly discovery, according to The Globe and Mail. “The Shermans had just put their house on Old Colony Road, in a posh North York neighbourhood, up for sale for $6.9-million. A relative, who asked not to be identified, said a real estate agent, preparing for an open house, had discovered the two bodies in the large home’s basement Friday morning,” the Globe and Mail reported on Saturday, December 16, 2017.
Toronto police merely wrote on Twitter, “Just before noon today we responded to a medical call in the area of Bayview & Old Colony, two people found deceased in a home. @PC_Hoppee is at the scene, will brief media, time TBC, updates to follow.”
Despite the early labeling of the deaths as suspicious, the Globe and Mail reported that, in the hours after the deaths were discovered, “the homicide squad was not in charge of the probe and the investigation was being conducted by detectives with the local 33 Division.” That would normally occur in the case of a double murder, the news site reported. Police told the Toronto Sun they are not seeking suspects at this time.
3. Honey & Barry Sherman Were Worth Billions & She Was the Daughter of Holocaust Survivors
Couple found dead in billionaire’s North York mansion, identified by friends as pharmaceutical giant Barry Sherman and his wife Honey. @SunDoucette @joe_warmington t.co/0UGMUSTX7J
Barry Sherman’s net worth was pegged at $3 billion by Forbes Magazine in 2017, although some accounts say his fortune was even larger. According to Forbes, Barry Sherman (who was born Bernard Sherman), began his path to riches in 1974, when, “armed with a doctorate in rocket science from MIT,” Sherman used his “mother’s life savings to buy his uncle’s drug company. Starting with two employees, he expanded the company to a workforce of over 10,000 making it one of Canada’s largest pharmaceutical companies, selling over 260 generic drugs in more than 115 countries.”
The company’s medicines “are used to fill over 89 million prescriptions a year in Canada alone, and annual global revenues are $1.5 billion. Apotex makes fine chemicals, non-prescription drugs and disposable plastics for medical use. Sherman stepped down as CEO in 2014 but remained chairman,” reported Forbes, which listed Barry Sherman as the 12th richest Canadian.
Apotex released a statement on Twitter that read, “We’ve been informed of the tragic news that Barry and Honey Sherman have unexpectedly passed away. All of us at Apotex are deeply shocked and saddened by this news and our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time.”
A lengthy profile on the Shermans in Toronto Life described Honey as “short and solidly built, with heavy eyebrows, sable hair and the look of someone who plays tennis daily. It once was one of her sports, along with skiing, but now she plays golf when she can, her athletic life curtailed by severe arthritis.”
The profile added, “Honey Reich, the daughter of Polish Holocaust survivors, met Barry in 1970, just after graduating from the University of Toronto and before starting to teach. It was her mother’s suggestion that she volunteer at Mount Sinai to meet a nice Jewish doctor, and Honey considered that not such a bad idea. A friend fixed her up with Barry, and a year later, when both were still in their 20s, they married. She calls herself a trophy wife who ‘came a little early.’” The article also details some past family conflicts.
4. Tributes Flowed in For the Couple & Many Mentioned Their Philanthropy
Const. David Hopkinson if Toronto Police said they are calling deaths of Honey and Barry Sherman suspicious
Hoskins, the Ontario health minister, wrote on Twitter, “I am beyond words right now. My dear friends Barry and Honey Sherman have been found dead. Wonderful human beings, incredible philanthropists, great leaders in health care. A very, very sad day. Barry, Honey, rest in peace.”
Senator Linda Frumm shared a photo of the couple and wrote, “Two weeks ago it gave me immense joy to present a Senate medal to one of the kindest and most beloved members of Canada’s Jewish community. Today I am gutted by the loss of Honey and Barry Sherman. Our community is steeped in grief. I am heartbroken.”
Brad Duguid, Ontario Minister of Economic Development & Growth, wrote on Twitter, “Deeply shocked & saddened to hear of the deaths of Barry & Honey Sherman. Philanthropists and entrepreneurs who made our province a better place to live.” The University of Toronto created a memorial page in honor of the Shermans, writing, “The University of Toronto community is deeply saddened to learn that Bernard (Barry) Sherman and Honey Sherman—two of our most prominent alumni and visionary supporters—have passed away.”
The university tribute continued, quoting president Meric Gertler as saying, “Barry and Honey were proud graduates of the University of Toronto. Their far-reaching philanthropy supported Baycrest, Mount Sinai Hospital, the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, the United Way of Greater Toronto, and so many other important institutions and causes. At U of T, Barry and Honey were incredibly generous supporters of our Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. And Barry was highly engaged as a member of our Entrepreneurship Leadership Council, providing guidance and advice in support of the University’s efforts to build a strong ecosystem for entrepreneurship and innovation. Clearly, few individuals have done more to advance the health and wellbeing of Canadians than Barry and Honey Sherman. Our thoughts are with their close friends and family during this difficult time.”
5. The Shermans Were Parents & Grandparents & Honey Was Planning a Trip to Florida
Right now 6 police vehicles are parked outside the mansion owned by Barry and Honey Sherman. Two bodies were found inside the home yesterday. Autopsies are being done today.
The Shermans were making plans for the future as recently as the Monday of the week they died. According to the Globe and Mail, Honey Sherman “e-mailed friends to book social dates on the couple’s upcoming Florida trip” that Monday. The news site reports that the couple had four children and a new grandchild.
“Looking forward to getting together in Florida. I am coming south Monday, December 18 – Friday, January 12,” Honey Sherman wrote in the email, according to Globe and Mail. “Barry is coming south for Monday December 25 & going home with me Jan. 12. Please let me know your dates south asap so i can place in my calendar… Looking forward to hearing back asap. Xoxo Honey.”
Barry and Honey Sherman were opposites, according to Globe and Mail, which reported that, while Honey Sherman was an “outgoing socialite,” Barry Sherman “was consumed with work and that he devoted almost all of his time and energy to Apotex, frequently sleeping for only a few hours a night. He had almost no outside interests and no taste for luxury, once driving an old car into such disrepair that Ms. Sherman went out and bought him a new Mercedes.”