Shraman Mitra
Law enforcement officers in Toronto, Canada, faced a terrifying and complex homicide investigation when Apotex founder Barry Sherman and his wife, Honey, were found murdered inside their own house. Interestingly, the couple was planning to sell their home, and a real estate agent was showing the building to some prospective buyers when they discovered the dead bodies. The podcast ‘Suspicion: The Billionaire Murders’ chronicles the gruesome double homicide and follows the investigation that tried its best to solve the case. Well, let’s delve into the details surrounding the incident and find out more, shall we?
How Did Barry and Honey Sherman Die?
Barry Sherman was a well-known businessman who recognized the potential in Canada’s pharmaceutical industry and went on to establish the generic drug-making company Apotex Inc. An incredible entrepreneur with a sharp mind, he wasted no time taking his company to the top and amassed an immense net worth. Although Barry was known to be clever in his dealings, which naturally made him quite a few enemies, he generally maintained an amicable relationship with most. Besides, at the time of his murder, he and his wife, Honey, were proud parents of four children who were successful in their own rights.
While Barry was known for his excellent business mind and success in the pharmaceutical field, Honey, was hugely popular in the Toronto Jewish Community. Reports mention that she was the daughter of two Polish Holocaust survivors. Once she came to Canada with her husband, Honey busied herself with philanthropic activities and was known as a kindhearted and generous individual. While neighbors and others who knew the Shermans described them as helpful people, the family was also known to donate generously to all organizations, including hospitals and charities.
The couple’s philanthropic activities earned them a lot of goodwill in the community, which made their sudden murders pretty shocking. On December 15, 2017, a real estate agent showed prospective buyers Barry and Honey’s Toronto house when the group encountered a gruesome scene in the indoor pool room. Though everything seemed normal initially, the realtor was shocked to find two human bodies in an awkward half-standing position on the pool deck. Though it looked like an art installation, the group soon identified the bodies as that of Barry and Honey Sherman.
Once first responders arrived on the scene, they declared the couple dead and noted that they were hanging by belts attached to a railing surrounding the pool. Albeit, even a thorough search of the house produced no DNA evidence, and the cops couldn’t find any sign of forced entry. Later, an autopsy determined that Barry and Honey died from ligature neck compression. Moreover, law enforcement officers were surprised to realize that the bodies were positioned like an actual art piece the Shermans owned.
The Unresolved Murders of Barry and Honey Sherman
The initial investigation into Barry and Honey Sherman’s murders was challenging as there were no leads or witnesses to work with. A thorough search of the crime scene revealed no DNA evidence, and the police noted that nothing was stolen from the house. That, combined with no sign of forced entry, eradicated burglary as a motive and indicated that someone with inside knowledge was responsible for the crime. Still, law enforcement officers canvassed the area around the house and even went door to door, hoping that someone might have seen something that could lead to a suspect.
Several of the Shermans’ acquaintances were also interviewed, but apart from wondering if Barry’s business was related to the crime, none could come up with the name of an immediate suspect who would want to harm the couple in such a heinous manner. Initially, the police were unwilling to deem it a double homicide as they investigated if the incident could have been a murder-suicide. They wondered if Barry was strong enough to kill Honey before taking his own life. However, apart from being refuted by the couple’s loved ones, this theory had several flaws.
For starters, Barry was not strong enough to strangle his wife and position her body in a specific way. Besides, he would not be able to position himself after taking his own life, and people wondered why the head of a pharmaceutical company would not use drugs but instead choose asphyxiation as a way of death. Hence, the incident was eventually determined to be a double homicide, and the police knew they had a tough case on their hands. During the investigation, the police looked into Barry and Honey’s children as they were the ones who would benefit the most from their parents’ death.
While the children were soon cleared of all suspicions, authorities learned that they had started their own investigation through a private investigator and were ready to pay a significant amount for any information that would lead to the killer. On the other hand, law enforcement officials looked into Barry’s business and whether that had a role in the gruesome crime. Yet, nothing seemed out of the ordinary; some spoke against the victim in the pharmaceutical industry, yet authorities determined that no one from that field was involved in the murder.
Incidentally, there has always been a list of suspects the police were initially interested in. This list included Barry’s cousin, who got into an altercation with the businessman over a case of espionage and ended up suing him for $1 billion. Besides, authorities learned how, just days before the murder, two unknown men took a tour of the Shermans’ house. Surprisingly, no one knew who the mysterious men were, and they never turned up after the initial visit, remaining unidentified throughout the investigation. Nevertheless, with time, detectives ruled out these people as possible suspects.
Eventually, in December 2021, the police went public with a CCTV video from outside Barry and Honey’s house on the day of their murder. The video shows a figure walking along the sidewalk toward the victims’ house, and sometime later, he is seen walking back the way he originally arrived from. When sharing the video, the police said they believed this person was responsible for the murders. Yet, as they could not identify him, they asked the public to step forward with any information they might have. Unfortunately, the investigation hasn’t progressed since then, yet authorities deem it an active investigation. Meanwhile, Barry and Honey’s children are pretty disappointed with how law enforcement handled the case, but they hope to bring the perpetrator to justice.
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