The family of Toronto billionaires Barry and Honey Sherman, who were found murdered in their mansion five years ago this December, are upping the reward money in the hope of catching the killer from $10 million to $35 million.
Sherman, who founded generic drugmaker Apotex Inc in 1974., and his wife, Honey, were found dead in their Toronto mansion on December 15, 2017.
The two were hanging by belts from a railing that surrounds their indoor pool and were in a semi-seated position on the pool deck.
‘Closure will not be possible until those responsible for this evil act are brought to justice,’ son Jonathon Sherman said to CBC Toronto.
The family had earlier offered a $10-million reward for information leading to a conviction.
‘I have been overwhelmed with pain, loss, and sorrow and these feelings only continuously compound,’ Jonathon Sherman said.
‘This immeasurable pain is felt every day when I realize that my own two children will never have the privilege of meeting my parents who made their lives possible for me and my husband.
‘My parents deserved to enjoy the fruits of their labour, 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 added.
‘Nothing will replace their incredible generosity and positive social impact. Their deaths have been a devastating loss for us all, leaving a massive void in our hearts, our lives and in our communities,’ he said.
Sherman, 75, was known for his litigiousness and aggressive business practices as he developed Apotex, which had a global work force of about 11,000.
In ‘Prescription Games,’ a 2001 book about the industry, he mused that a rival might want to kill him.
Last year, Toronto police released video footage that saw images of a person walking on a sidewalk near the Shermans’ home.
Toronto Det. Sgt. Brandon Price said they have since largely eliminated everyone else picked up on security footage in the area adding that they have a great deal of confidence the suspect is linked to the scene.
Worth anywhere from $5 billion to $10 billion, the couple was among Canada’s most generous philanthropists, and their deaths shocked Canadian high society and the country’s Jewish community.
They made numerous multimillion-dollar donations to hospitals, schools and charities and had buildings named in their honor. They hosted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a Liberal Party fundraiser in 2015.
‘I think the kids are doing the right thing by continuing to keep this story alive, the investigation alive and the pressure alive on law enforcement and the investigation,’ Avi Abraham Benlolo to CBC earlier this week.
‘Putting more money in place — perhaps it will provide the lead that is necessary. We really have a longing for closure,’ he said. ‘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.’
The day after the bodies were found, some prominent news media outlets quoted unidentified police officials as saying the deaths appeared to be a murder-suicide.
Such declarations upset the couple’s four adult children, who then hired their own team of investigators and a pathologist, who conducted second autopsies on the Shermans.
Police later said publicly they believed the Shermans were murdered.
Friends and family say the couple had been making plans for the future and had recently listed their home in Toronto for $5.3 million and were building a new home in the city.
Sherman faced legal action from cousins who said they had been cut out of the company over the years. A judge dismissed the claim just months before the couple was found dead.
