Canada launches probe into deaths of billionaire couple

Montreal, Dec. 18: Toronto’s homicide unit has taken over an investigation into the “suspicious” deaths of Canadian pharmaceutical billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife Honey, police said Sunday after finding they died of strangulation.

“The cause of death for both deceased was ligature neck compression,” Toronto police said in a statement after postmortem examinations of the bodies of the 75- yearold Apotex chairman and his 70- year- old wife.

“Toronto Police Service Homicide has taken the lead in this suspicious death investigation,” the police said, without further details.

At 11: 44 am on Friday, officers responded to an emergency call at the couple’s home on Old Colony Road, in a tony neighborhood of Toronto.

Local media cited a police source as saying the Shermans’ bodies were found hanging from a railing around a basement pool, the theory being that the Apotex chairman killed his wife Honey, hung her body and then hanged himself by the pool’s edge.

But their family strongly refuted that version of the events.

“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 family said.