Canadian tycoon, wife murdered in ‘targeted’ killing — police

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian drug company billionaire businessman Barry Sherman and his wife are believed to have been both murdered, the police said last Friday.

Det. Sgt. Susan Gomes said investigators came to the conclusion after six weeks of investigation, but said there are no suspects.

The founder of generic drugmaker Apotex and his wife, Honey, were found dead in their mansion last Dec. 15. Back then, the deaths were suspicious, but the police said there were no signs of forced entry and they were not looking for suspects.

Gomes said the two were found hanging by belts from a railing that surrounds their indoor pool and were in a semi-seated position on the pool deck.

“We have sufficient evidence to describe this as a double homicide investigation and that both Honey and Barry Sherman were in fact targeted,” Gomes said.

She said they were last seen alive in the evening of Dec. 13 and were not heard from again until their bodies were found late morning of Dec. 15.

Gomes said there are no signs of forced entry at access points of the couple’s home. She declined to discuss the evidence, possible motives or suspects.

“We haven’t developed any suspects (yet),” Gomes said.

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.

In a statement last Friday, the family said that the new conclusion “was expressed by the family from the outset and is consistent with the findings of the independent autopsy and investigation.”

“The family continues to support the Toronto Police Service in their efforts to seek justice for their parents and pursue those responsible for these unspeakable crimes,” the statement added.

The police have released the home back to the family.