Daily Times

TORONTO: Homicide unit of Toronto police has cited ‘ligature neck compression’ as cause deaths of Apotex founder Berry Sherman and his wife, Honey Sherman.

It has taken over the investigation into the deaths in lines with this result of these suspicious deaths.

In a press statement, the police said it had responded to a 911 call and found both bodies inside the house. “The deceased man has been identified as Barry Sherman, 75. The deceased woman has been identified as Honey Sherman, 70”, the statement said. It added that post-mortem examinations were carried out for two days and the cause of death for both deceased was ligature neck compression. Toronto Police Service Homicide has taken the lead in this suspicious death investigation.

The police have appealed to the public saying that anyone with information is asked to contact police through phone call, online, or text message unanimously.

Body of Shermon, the 15th wealthiest man of Canada, and his wife were found in their North York home just before noon on Friday. The bodies were discovered by the couple’s real estate agent, who had been helping to sell the multimillion-dollar home. The agent entered the house after not being able to contact the couple. The bodies were located together by the Shermans’ indoor pool. The Sherman family issued a statement urging police to conduct a thorough, intensive, and objective criminal investigation after several media outlets reported that police were probing the possibility of a murder-suicide as cause of death.

“Our parents shared an enthusiasm for life and commitment to their family and community totally inconsistent with the rumours regrettably circulated in the media as to the circumstances surrounding their deaths,” the statement said.

“We are shocked and think it’s irresponsible that police sources have reportedly advised the media of a theory which neither their family, their friends nor their colleagues believe to be true”, it said.

The police have formally announced identification of the couple with today’s statement.

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among many prominent Canadians who expressed sorrow over the Shermans’ deaths. “Sophie (Grégoire Trudeau) and I are saddened by news of the sudden passing of Barry and Honey Sherman,” Trudeau wrote on Twitter. “Our condolences to their family & friends, and to everyone touched by their vision & spirit”, he added.

Sherman, the founder of generic drug giant Apotex, was one of the richest men in the country, with an estimated net worth of $4.6 billion. He built Apotex from a two-employee company in Toronto into a global pharmaceutical organization that employs more than 11,000 people around the world and exports different medicines in 115 countries of the world.

On Saturday, the home page of the Apotex website memorialized Barry Sherman and the legacy he built as: “Dr. Sherman gave his life to the singular purpose of our organization – innovating for patient affordability”. “Patients around the world live healthier and more fulfilled lives thanks to his life’s work, and his significant impact on healthcare and healthcare sustainability will have an enduring impact for many years to come”, it added.

“As employees, we are proud of his tremendous accomplishments, honoured to have known him, and vow to carry on with the Apotex purpose in his honour.” The couple had donated millions across the city, from the United Jewish Appeal to the United Way. A charitable arm of Apotex has shipped millions of dollars worth of medicine to disaster zones around the world. In addition to donating to charities mainly in the Toronto area, Barry Sherman was a prominent backer of the Liberal party led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

This year, Karen Shepherd, the federal lobbying commissioner, said she was investigating the propriety of Sherman hosting a Liberal party fundraiser in 2015 that featured Trudeau before he was elected prime minister.

Because Sherman was registered as a lobbyist at the time, some political opponents and a political ethics group charged that the event violated federal lobbying rules. Apotex had asked a court to end the investigation, calling it an “unanchored fishing expedition.”

Published in Daily Times, December 19^th 2017.