A CASE LIKE NO OTHER
The deaths of billionaires Barry and Honey Sherman have captivated the city. Enter lead detective Susan Gomes to untangle the mystery of what happened
Detectives, especially those who’ve put in years of their career on the notoriously demanding homicide squad, must aim to keep an open mind when approaching each and every death. Even if it has similarities to past cases, every new investigation must be approached with fresh eyes, treated as a completely unique situation.
That’s not likely to be a problem for Toronto police Det.-Sgt. Susan Gomes. The file that landed on her desk this weekend is undoubtedly unlike any other in the veteran cop’s career.
The homicide detective is the lead investigator now examining the suspicious deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman, the billionaire couple whose mys- terious demise has captivated Toronto and beyond, and left family and friends reeling.
The founder of drug giant Apotex and his wife were found dead in their North York home before noon Friday — a grisly discovery that was made, police sources say, by the couple’s real estate agent, who entered the $6.9-million house after being unable to make contact with the couple.
A police source with knowledge of the investigation told the Star that the couple was found together, by their indoor pool, hanging off a nearby structure. Both were in a semi-sitting position, according to a police source.
Post-mortem results show both Shermans’ cause of death was “ligature neck compression,” death from hanging or strangulation caused by a cord-like object, such as a belt or rope. The probe now led by Gomes and her homicide team is a suspicious death case. Neither of the deaths have been classified as a homicide, though an early police theory was that it was a case of murder-suicide, a scenario the Shermans’ four children and close friends strongly deny.
In a year-end interview with the Star, Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders would not comment on the status of the probe or reveal any new details about the case. But the chief said he wants to speak to the Shermans’ family.
“I’m just trying to line that up,” Saunders said.
A former homicide detective told the Star this week that the squad likely took on the role as lead investigator because its officers are the most experienced in probing suspicious deaths.
This is undoubtedly the case for Gomes, a Toronto cop of nearly 30 years. Her early career saw her working out of south Etobicoke’s 22 division in the mid-1990s, where her cases included investigating the theft of name-brand clothing and alcohol from retailers. The probe resulted in the arrest of five men and the seizure of $100,000 worth of goods.
In 2010, Gomes took on the slaying of Andrew (Philly) Dowden, a 17year-old who was fatally shot and whose body was discovered on the banks of the Humber River. Three underage teens later served four years in prison in connection to the death.
Over the years, she has also probed several fatal shootings, including the heartbreaking death of Lecent Ross, the 14-year-old girl who was shot with an illegal handgun inside a home on Jamestown Cres. in July 2015. In March, a 15-year-old who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death, receiving a three-year sentence.
More recently, Gomes took on the high-profile case of Anthony James Kiss, who was charged with manslaughter after he drove his car into Dario Humberto Romero — a split second decision he said he made after he saw the man chasing after a woman with a knife. That charge was later withdrawn at the request of the Crown.
In 2014, Gomes was nominated for the Ontario Women in Law Enforcement’s Excellence in Performance Award for a case in which she devoted hours examining 8,000 text message and other cellphone data to help solve a drive-by shooting.