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Son Announces $35 Million Reward In Hunt For Billionaire Couple's Killer On Five-Year Anniversary Of Their Mysterious Deaths
“Closure will not be possible until those responsible for this evil act are brought to justice,” the son of victims' Barry and Honey Sherman said of his decision to add $25 million to an existing $10 million reward in the case.
Five years after a billionaire couple was found dead in their home near a basement pool under mysterious circumstances, their son has announced a $35 million reward to find their killer.
Barry Sherman, 75, and his wife, Honey, 70, were discovered “hanging by belts from an indoor poolside railing” in the home’s basement on Dec. 15, 2017, Toronto Police said in 2018.
The Sherman’s real estate agent, Elise Stern, had been showing the home with another realtor and two of his clients when the small group made the gruesome discovery and called police around 11:45 a.m., according to court documents obtained by CBC.
Police believe the prominent Jewish couple — who was known for their philanthropy — had been strangled to death two days prior to their discovery and noted there were no signs of forced entry to the home, located in an affluent neighborhood of Toronto, police said.
RELATED: Police Release Video Of Suspect Wanted For Killing Billionaire Couple In 2017
Five years later, no arrests have been made, but the couple’s son, Jonathon Sherman, is hoping to change that by adding an additional $25 million to a reward for information that leads to the killer’s arrest and conviction, bringing the reward’s total amount to $35 million — about about $25.5 million in U.S. dollars — CBC Toronto reports. The Sherman family had previously offered a $10 million reward.
“Closure will not be possible until those responsible for this evil act are brought to justice,” Jonathon said in a statement to the news outlet.
Jonathon described the last five years as a “nightmare” as investigators worked to piece together who may have killed the wealthy couple.
“I have been overwhelmed with pain, loss and sorrow and these feelings only continuously compound,” he said.
Barry Sherman, the founder and chairman of the board of generic drug giant Apotex, and his wife were last seen alive the evening of Dec. 13, 2017, while meeting with a custom home builder, architect and subcontractor to discuss plans for a new home they planned to build, according to the news outlet.
Honey left the meeting around 5:30 p.m. and authorities believe Barry left the office a few hours later.
Police believe the couple was killed that night sometime before midnight, according to The Toronto Star.
Investigators initially considered the possibility that the deaths could be the result of a murder-suicide, but announced six weeks after the deaths, that it was being investigated as a double homicide.
Police said they believed the couple had been targeted, CNN reports.
At the time of the deaths, the Shermans were estimated to be worth somewhere between $5 billion and $10 billion — yet they had also been struggling with some financial issues, according to CBC.
Shortly before the murders, Apotex lost a $500 million lawsuit and the company had been in the midst of layoffs. Barry had also been involved in dozens of lawsuits.
His son Jonathon told police his parents were “complicated people” and that “there are people out there who would have a grudge against them and would have reason to hurt them,” according to the court documents.
Avi Abraham Benlolo, founder and chair of the Abraham Global Peace Initiative, had known the couple through their philanthropy work and described them to CBC as pillars of the Jewish community.
"We really have a longing for closure," he said of the shocking killings. "We still don't feel that we have the answers that we need. What happened to them? Who's responsible? We need to bring them to justice."
For years, it seemed as though little progress was being made in the case until police announced last year that they were asking for the public’s help to track down a possible “suspect” in the case. They released footage of a person walking on the sidewalk in the couple’s neighborhood.
“Through our investigation, we have been unable to determine what this individual’s purpose was in the neighborhood,” Detective Sgt. Brandon Price said, according to CNN. “The timing of this individual’s appearance is in line with when we believe the murders took place.”
The shadowy image did not make it possible to determine whether the person was a male or female, but authorities said they believe the individual was between 5-feet, 6-inches and 5-feet, 9-inches tall. The person also had a distinctive gait in the video and appeared to kick their right heel up while walking.
A year later, no arrests have been made.
“This remains an ongoing and active investigation,” Toronto Police Service spokesperson Caroline de Kloet told CNN. “Toronto Police Service is committed to resolving this case and bringing closure to the family and friends of Barry and Honey Sherman.”
For the Sherman family, the wait has been unbearable.
“So far there has been no justice for them and no closure for me and my family,” their daughter, Alexandra Krawczyk, told the Toronto Star this month.
Krawczyk said the loss has been felt throughout the family, which reportedly fractured following the deaths.
“My heart is broken. My loss is immeasurable,” she said. “My children have lost their grandparents. We miss their guidance, love and wisdom.”
Jonathon is hoping that by adding to the lofty reward in the case, it could bring new information forward and lead to an arrest. He told CBC that he is looking forward to the day when he can pay out the reward money because it will “finally allow for healing” and some much-needed answers about who killed his parents.
"My parents deserved to enjoy the fruits of their labor, and spend their twilight years as any grandparent should, with their family. I continue to miss my parents more than I can describe, and I am forever haunted by what happened to them," he said.
Anyone with information about the case, is urged to reach out to the Toronto Police Service at shermantips@torontopolice.on.ca.
