Sherman teams share similarities
CHRISTIE BLATCHFORD ON THE PARALLEL INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEATHS OF BARRY AND HONEY SHERMAN: ‘THUS FAR, IT APPEARS, THEY’RE DOING A BANG-UP JOB, RIGHT DOWN TO THE ALLEGEDLY UNAUTHORIZED LEAKS.’
If it wasn’t a story so irredeemably sad and awful, it might be funny. Instead, it’s merely rich with irony.
The results of the private investigation being conducted into the deaths of billionaire philanthropists Barry and Honey Sherman, sparked when unofficial leaks to the press suggested the tragedy was a “murder-suicide” — a theory that enraged the grieving family — was itself leaked to reporters last weekend.
Two media outlets, the Toronto Star and CBC News, ran major stories last Saturday filled with details both about what may have happened to the affluent Toronto couple and the purported theories of the crime from the private team put together by criminal lawyer Brian Greenspan.
The bodies of the 75-yearold founder of generic drug giant Apotex and his 70-yearold wife were discovered in their North York home on Friday, Dec. 15.
Anonymous sources were quoted the very next day saying police considered the deaths “suspicious” and that an early working theory was that it may have been a murder-suicide.
The family quickly issued a statement, condemning the unattributed leaks as irresponsible, urging police to keep an open mind and sharply rejecting the theory of the crime.
All that Toronto police have ever said officially about the case is that the deaths are “suspicious.”
Homicide detectives and force spokesman Mark Pugash steadfastly have refused to respond to reporters’ requests for comment, denial or information.
But Saturday, all manner of lurid details about the couple’s deaths — that their wrists had been bound; that they were wearing winter coats that would have immobilized their arms; that they may have died a day or two before the discovery of the bodies; that Mrs. Sherman struggled with her killer or killers and was found lying in a pool of her own blood, and that it all looked like the work of professional killers or like a “contract killing” — were splashed all over the Star and the CBC website.
“They were murdered” read the unequivocal frontpage headline in the Star.
“Barry and Honey Sherman were murdered by multiple killers, private investigators believe: source” said the CBC’s version.
Again, the information was unattributed, sources described this way by the Star, “People providing information for this story are not identified as they were not authorized to discuss the case,” and at the CBC simply as “a source with direct knowledge of the parallel probe …”
But later Saturday, Greenspan spoke to the Toronto Sun about the already published stories. He said he was surprised by the reports, that he “highly” doubted the leaks had come from anyone on his team (but that if the leaks had come from someone on the team that person would be let go), and said that any “observations” made by the team “would be first shared with the Toronto police. We are not here to interfere with police but to support them.”
Pugash wouldn’t confirm or deny if the forensic pathologist hired by Greenspan to conduct a second autopsy, Dr. David Chiasson, had shared his observations with the police, or if the force felt “supported.”
Greenspan didn’t answer the same question in an email Postmedia sent him Monday — had Chiasson handed over his post-mortem report? — but said rather, “The specifics of our co-operation with the TPS, when it is made public, will be released to everyone at the same time.”
It is unclear if there even is a report, though the Star said Chiasson had “determined this was a double homicide,” so presumably, his observations could have been passed along verbally.
The members of Team Sherman are former Toronto homicide detective (and Greenspan’s go-to private investigator in the ordinary course) Tom Klatt, who was given the mandate to hire other experts, and former Ontario deputy coroner Dr. Jim Cairns, whose primary task was to find a second forensic pathologist to do the second autopsy.
Klatt has hired former Toronto homicide squad detectives Mike Davis, also retired, and Ray Zarb, who now works as a consultant in investigative software.
As well, two retired Toronto forensic identification officers, former staff-sergeant Dennis Buligan and Alan Benton, recently retired as a forensics instructor at the Ontario Police College.
Alas for the latter pair, as Toronto police haven’t yet released the Sherman house from its custody, the two identification officers have had little to do.
Team Sherman is modelling itself after a proper police-run investigation, with “a major case conference,” where investigators share and exchange ideas, in the offing at some as yet unknown date.
Thus far, it appears, they’re doing a bang-up job, right down to allegedly unauthorized leaks of information — and considerably more of it, too.
Team Sherman has a complement of seven, counting Greenspan, compared with the Toronto force, which has more than 7,000 employees, officers and civilians.
Perhaps the private team can take another leaf out of the TPS playbook, and simply clam up until they have something to say to which they will attach their names.