Reward in mystery murder of billionaire couple tops $52 million
The deaths of Canadian billionaires Barry and Honey Sherman have been a mystery right from the start.
On December 15, 2017, a realtor giving a tour of the couple's Toronto mansion around midday discovered their bodies, fully dressed, beside their indoor basement swimming pool.
They were semi-seated side by side, with belts tied around their necks and attached to the railing of the indoor pool according to police. Barry Sherman was 75 and his wife Honey was 70.
The story made headlines across the globe, as police called the deaths suspicious.
Theories have swirled about who might have wanted to kill the founder of Canadian generic drug giant Apotex and his philanthropic wife – being one of Canada's richest couples.
Investigators have worked to connect the dots however, five years later, no arrests have been made. On this week's anniversary of the killings, the Shermans' son offered an additional $25 million (A$37 million) for information leading to an arrest.
The reward is now $52 million.
"This week marks the five-year anniversary since my parents were murdered in their home. Every day since then has been a nightmare. I have been overwhelmed with pain, loss, and sorrow and these feelings only continuously compound," Jonathon Sherman said in a statement announcing the reward money.
"Closure will not be possible until those responsible for this evil act are brought to justice," he added.
The victims' prominence meant the case was high profile from the start. At the time of his death, Forbes estimated Barry was worth $4.5 billion.
The Shermans' wealth, vast investments and philanthropy work saw them cross paths with Canada's business and political elites, their funeral was attended by thousands of people, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Kathleen Wynne, premier of the province of Ontario.
At the service an emotional Jonathon Sherman took the stage, with his three sisters, and slammed speculation that their parents died by suicide.
Police later concluded someone had killed them, only six weeks after the bodies were found, Toronto police announced a review of evidence showed they were victims of a homicide, saying they believed the couple was targeted.
With no forced signs of entry to the property, it's possible someone had a key, had access to the lockbox that held the keys or was known to the couple, Gomes said.
In 2021, police asked for help identifying a shadowy suspect.
After years of silence, police made a shocking announcement on the fourth anniversary of the couple's deaths last year, sharing a video of a shadowy person caught on security video walking on the snow-covered sidewalks in the couple's North York neighborhood.
The Sherman children say the lack of answers adds to their grief. It's been five years since the murders and there have been no major developments. True crime podcasts have even have tried to unravel intrigue surrounding the deaths.
In a statement to the CBC, her brother, Jonathon Sherman, echoed the same sentiment, saying the family will never get closure until the killer is brought to justice.
The siblings reminded the public of the $52 million in reward money and pleaded for anyone with information to contact the Toronto Police Service.
Image: AP