How the investigation into the deaths of Dr. Barry and Honey Sherman turned from murder-suicide to double homicide

UPDATE:

Information from the autopsies and other pieces of information gathered since December of last year have changed the Toronto police’s initial theory of murder-suicide to double homicide in the deaths of Dr. Barry Sherman and his wife, Honey. The investigation into their death is now in its fifth month.

As you will remember, we initially broke the story saying the family wasn’t buying the murder-suicide angle. Read that story here.

The following information comes from an ongoing Toronto Star investigation based on interviews with people who have insider knowledge of the case. While they provided the info they have requested not to be named. (To read their full story, click here.)

Below is the timeline for Dr. Barry and his wife in the days before their deaths:¹

• The Sherman’s were both at Apotex headquarters late in the afternoon on Wednesday, Dec. 13. They had a meeting with architects from the firm designing their new home in Forest Hill, an upscale Toronto neighborhood.
• Honey left Apotex first, before 5 p.m. while Barry left in the early evening (his last known email from his Apotex account was sent between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. according to sources at Apotex).
• The Shermans went home that Wednesday evening (the house was for sale).
• Thursday passed without anyone raising concern about the fact that no one had heard from either of them because they were both busy and it wasn’t unusual to go a day without hearing from them.
• Friday morning, at 8:30 a.m., the housekeeper and the person who waters the Sherman’s plants once a week arrived at the home for regularly scheduled Friday-morning visits.
• The housekeeper and plant waterer worked on the main and second floor for the next two hours with neither going into the lower level, where the Sherman’s were eventually found.
• At 10:30 a.m., two real estate agents arrived to do a showing.
• After touring the upper floor, the agents and clients went downstairs and walked along a corridor leading to the pool. It was then that the couple was found with their backs to the pool, held in a sitting position by something tied around their necks. One of the realtors ushered the other agent and the clients back, making an excuse, saying that part of the home was off limits at the moment.
• The final discovery was made shortly after 11 a.m. Friday. One of the realtor’s assistants called up to the housekeeper, informing them about what she had seen.
• The housekeeper called 911 and the police were en route by 11:44 a.m.
• Determined to be “suspicious” deaths, the bodies were kept at the home until the forensic identification unit of the Toronto Police could photograph and examine the scene.
• Officials at Apotex learned of the deaths from media reports published online around 3:30 p.m. Friday.
• On Saturday autopsies were conducted at the Office of the Chief Coroner in north Toronto. Pathologist Dr. Michael Pickup, a staff pathologist at the provincial forensic pathologist unit in Toronto, did both autopsies with the police present.

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That Friday evening, the media were informed by police that there were no signs of forced entry and no suspects were being sought. One day later, multiple media outlets reported that police sources believed Barry had strangled Honey and then committed suicide.

Pathologist Dr. Michael Pickup examined photos of the scene taken by police and conducted a forensic exam on both bodies. He also took skin biopsies from various areas to be tested to see if injuries were old or recent. Sources say Pickup saw indications of double murder but he did not make that ruling and until late January Toronto police were still considering all options.

However, what was either leaked or told directly to the media by the police was very upsetting to the family. In a statement they 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. We urge the Toronto Police Service to conduct a thorough, intensive and objective criminal investigation, and urge the media to refrain from further reporting as to the cause of these tragic deaths until the investigation is completed.”¹

The family hired criminal lawyer Brian Greenspan who put a team together comprised of former homicide detectives. He also hired Dr. David Chiasson the senior pathologist at Toronto’s Sick Children’s Hospital to do a private autopsy, which he did before the Sherman’s funeral. He was also provided crime scene photos at that time.

“The photos showed markings made by some type of rope or plastic tie that had encircled both Barry and Honey’s wrists and damaged the skin. The deduction Chiasson and the private detectives made was that their wrists had been bound prior to death.”¹

The photos allowed them to figure some things out but questions persist:¹

• they could not determine if the hands were bound in front, or behind their backs
• photos did not reveal any ropes or ties that could be responsible for the abrasions
• belts were looped around their necks and used to hold them in a sitting position, backs to the pool

Chiasson determined the couple were “likely not strangled with the belts”¹ (one of which is thought to have been Barry Sherman’s) but something else, with the belts later put around their necks.

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At this time, the Toronto police have ruled their deaths as a double homicide but no further information is available. Although we do know that the CBC has said that Big Pharma was no friend to Dr. Sherman.

We will update you as we have more information to share. We hope that in spite of the ongoing investigation that the family is able to find peace.