Honey and Barry Sherman, Chairman and CEO of Apotex Inc., are shown at the annual United Jewish Appeal (UJA) fundraiser in Toronto, Ontario August 24, 2010. — Picture by The Globe and Mail/Janice Pinto via Reuters
OTTAWA, Dec 15 — Toronto police announced Tuesday a suspect — captured on neighbors’ security cameras — in the strangulation murders of pharmaceutical tycoon Barry Sherman and his wife Honey four years ago.
The unidentified person — the first to be named a suspect in the case — was seen walking in the area of the couple’s home around the time of the double homicides, Detective Sergeant Brandon Price told a news conference.
“This individual’s actions are highly suspicious,” he added.
Sherman, 75, was chairman of global generic drug supplier Apotex.
His body, along with that of Honey Sherman, 70, was found at their house in a tony Toronto neighborhood on December 15, 2017.
Police had initially suspected a murder-suicide. The clothed bodies were discovered hanging, partly sitting, by a pool in the basement of the home.
An autopsy concluded they died from strangulation, and investigators later ruled both deaths “targeted” homicides.
Price said police reviewed “a very large amount of security video footage” from the neighborhood, and through analysis of the images, as well as data collected from nearby cell phone towers and canvassing of neighbors were able to eliminate as suspects “the vast majority of people captured on the videos.”
“We are left with one individual whom we have been unable to identify,” he said.
“Through our investigation, we have been unable to determine what this individual’s purpose was in the neighbourhood,” he said.
“The timing of this individual’s appearance is in line with when we believe the murders took place. Based on this evidence we’re classifying this individual as a suspect.”
Asking the public for help in identifying the suspect, Price pointed out the individual’s gait, “the way in which they kick up their right foot with every step.”
He also said the person is estimated to be about five feet, six inches to five feet, nine inches tall.
But as the suspect was wearing a parka and a cap, police could not determine the individual’s sex, age, weight or skin colour. — AFP