Seventy-five-year-old Barry Sherman was a self-made billionaire and the founder of Apotex Inc., one of the world’s largest generic pharmaceutical companies, based in Toronto, Canada. Starting with his uncle’s small drug firm in the 1960s, Barry built Apotex into a powerhouse with thousands of employees and billions in revenue by aggressively challenging patents and focusing on affordable generics. Known for his frugal lifestyle despite immense wealth—driving old cars and avoiding flashy displays—he was estimated to have a net worth between $5–10 billion at the time of his death.
Seventy-year-old Honey Sherman was his partner in both life and philanthropy. The couple, married for decades, were major donors to hospitals, universities, Jewish organizations, and causes in Toronto and beyond. They supported Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and were active in the city’s charity scene. They had four children and were preparing to move from their longtime mansion at 50 Old Colony Road in North York’s Bridle Path area to a new $25 million home in Forest Hill.
On Friday, December 15th, 2017, around twelve forty-six p.m., Toronto Police responded to a call at the Sherman residence. A real estate agent showing the home (which was listed for sale) discovered the couple’s bodies in the basement pool area. Barry and Honey were found in a semi-seated position on the pool deck, with belts looped around their necks and attached to a low safety railing, preventing them from falling backward into the water. The staging was so unusual that the agent initially thought it might be a prank or mannequins.
The couple had last been seen alive on Wednesday, December 13th, 2017; Honey had arrived home around eight p.m. and Barry around nine. Their bodies were not discovered until about thirty-six to forty-eight hours later. There were no signs of forced entry, and the home lacked security cameras.
Autopsies determined the cause of death as ligature neck compression (strangulation). Honey showed bruising on her face, but no other major injuries were noted.
Toronto Police initially treated the deaths as suspicious but considered possibilities like murder-suicide (Barry killing Honey and then himself). This theory dominated early weeks, with officers reportedly asking witnesses why Barry might have killed Honey rather than who might have targeted them both.
By mid-January 2018, after reviewing evidence, including private autopsies commissioned by the family, police reclassified the case as a targeted double homicide. The about-face came after ruling out suicide, noting the posing of the bodies (some reports likened it to abstract art or a “statement”). Investigators concluded the couple had been deliberately targeted, though no clear motive or suspect emerged immediately.
Early errors included delayed neighborhood canvassing, slow collection of security footage from nearby properties, and failure to promptly secure alibis from key individuals.
Over the years, Toronto Police have conducted hundreds of interviews, followed more than 1,200 tips, and obtained dozens of warrants. In December 2021, they released video of a person of interest: a “walking man” seen lingering suspiciously near the home around the time of the murders.
The family offered a $10 million reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, which Jonathon Sherman (their son) increased to $35 million in 2022. Despite this unprecedented sum, it remains unclaimed.
Private investigations hired by the family—including retired detectives and pathologists—have run parallel to the official probe.
The lack of forced entry suggests the killer(s) may have known the Shermans, had access, or were let in. There have been several threads of speculation concerning motive, including the possibility that the couple were killed by business enemies; Barry’s aggressive litigation style was known to have created rivals in the pharmaceutical industry.
There were also long-standing feuds with cousins over inheritance claims, and one cousin lost a billion-dollar lawsuit against Barry shortly before the murders.
It’s also possible that the Shermans were murdered for religious or ethnic motives, though this hypothesis is unsubstantiated.
Despite investigative efforts, there have been no arrests, though persons of interest have been identified over time (but none publicly named recently). As of this writing in January 2026, the double homicide of Barry and Honey Sherman is still unresolved.
Crime Immemorial 