CANADA Canada - Billionaire Couple Barry & Honey Sherman Murdered at Home, Toronto, 15 Dec 2017 #23

[Lexiintoronto]

I still believe someone close had access to Honey's emails and knew all of her comings and goings etc. The assistant said Honey didn't have a password.

That’s true, the devices themselves didn’t require passwords. She also used sticky notes and clipped paper notes so I think her schedule was easily accessible.

I don’t know if it factors in, but the assistant said her schedule was also on iCloud and there was a password for that. Her assistant was going on vacation, so on Wednesday she emailed the password for the iCloud to Mary so she could access it if needed.

 

[RHR]

Regarding the murderer's decision to stage the fake m/s in the pool room:

My modest, middle-class house bears no comparison to the Shermans', but when I look around my place, I don't see any spot where one could easily perpetrate or stage a m/s by hanging. I know people can hang themselves from lots of things--hooks, light fixtures, doorknobs--but if you are trying to persuade police of a m/s on at least a short-term basis, it seems like you'd go for something more obvious and superficially credible. Both my upstairs and basement stair rails overlook narrow hallways, and I think the iron rails could pull their bolts (recognizing the Shermans were seated and it wouldn't be the full weight of two people). It's possible, but it would be difficult.

Are there other locations in the Sherman house that would have made equal logistical sense? For example, was there a stair rail on the main floor with a lot of space underneath? Or is it possible that the pool rail seemed like the sturdiest and most credible place?

There were many other areas to stage a M/S. I don't believe the kiler/killers thought of one minute that the police would think it was a M/S. IMO It's ridiculous that the police came to that conclusion on the 15th dec 2017. I'm sure the killer/killers were equally surprised by that assumption. The staging, again IMO was an after thought. If the staging was planned i would assume a professional hitman would come prepared. The belt holding BS to the rail came from around his waist. Not that i am an expert in hitman and if it wasn't so unbelievably sad that two people are dead and what they must have gone through, it's almost comical.The bumbling hitman/hitmen forgetting to bring there tools. "OY!, (one says to the other), I hope Barry wears a belt...

 

[WINDSOR]

Could it be, the Police never did believe it was M/S, and set up a stream of dis-information through the media?
The TPS never did make any official statements until they declared it a murder investigation. All the information about M/S were media reports attributed to unknown Police sources.

With all the talk of M/S maybe the TPS was hoping the criminals would be lulled into a false sense of complacency and trip themselves up.

For this scenario to be true, we have to assume the TPS is quite sophisticated, even though there maybe historical evidence to the contrary.

If it was a planned ruse, at this time, it does not seem to have been effective.
MOO

 

[Cedars]

Could it be, the Police never did believe it was M/S, and set up a stream of dis-information through the media?
The TPS never did make any official statements until they declared it a murder investigation. All the information about M/S were media reports attributed to unknown Police sources.

With all the talk of M/S maybe the TPS was hoping the criminals would be lulled into a false sense of complacency and trip themselves up.

For this scenario to be true, we have to assume the TPS is quite sophisticated, even though there maybe historical evidence to the contrary.

If it was a planned ruse, at this time, it does not seem to have been effective.
MOO

I kinda see it this way, but I don't agree with the idea of a 'stream of disinformation'.

There appears to have been one police source that initially said police were investigating it as a murder-suicide. You see this in the first few pages of thread number 1, essentially pages 4-6. All 3 Toronto papers published this rumour on Dec 16, the day after the bodies were found: for eg, The Star
"Officially, Toronto police have released little information about the deaths, beyond that they were deemed suspicious. But police sources confirm to the Star that police are now probing the possibility that they were a murder-suicide."

Police investigating possible murder-suicide in deaths of billionaire and his wife

The bodies of Barry Sherman and his wife Honey were found in their North York mansion just before noon Friday.

www.thestar.com

Then, of course, it started to go viral. The Daily Mail, etc, don't independently verify anything, they just copy the story from other media.

However, the very same day, the family released a statement that they didn't believe the theory, and strongly objecting to the media publishing the rumour, as well as that police source for spreading them.

Statement from the Family of Barry and Honey Sherman

TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2017 /CNW/ - Our parents shared an enthusiasm for life and commitment to their family and community totally inconsistent with th...

markets.businessinsider.com

At that point, ie, the day after their bodies were found, all rumours stopped. The police went through their process of investigation, the autopsy went ahead, etc.

IMO, like proper police, they neither jumped to the conclusion of m-s, nor jumped to the conclusion of double murder (in spite of family pressure to do it).

They made their decision and made the announcement when they were ready to do it (and regardless of the family trying to take over the investigation and run it independently by themselves).

There's a case I'm keeping an eye on in the US: over 10 months later there's been no ruling on whether it was suicide or murder. Evidence can be inconclusive, or part of the investigation strategy can be to not release info.

JMO

 

[FromGermany1]

Could it be, the Police never did believe it was M/S, and set up a stream of dis-information through the media?
The TPS never did make any official statements until they declared it a murder investigation. All the information about M/S were media reports attributed to unknown Police sources.

With all the talk of M/S maybe the TPS was hoping the criminals would be lulled into a false sense of complacency and trip themselves up.

For this scenario to be true, we have to assume the TPS is quite sophisticated, even though there maybe historical evidence to the contrary.

If it was a planned ruse, at this time, it does not seem to have been effective.
MOO

bbm
Were they all rewarded for this more or less successful deception?

In fact, despite harsh criticism from the family of the slain philanthropic power couple famous for their company Apotex and for their charitable donations, all of the police players in this case have either been promoted or are on a list to be elevated up the ranks.

The latest is the lead detective on the Sherman file — Det.-Sgt. Sue Gomes, who made this week’s promotion’s list by Chief Mark Saunders.

WARMINGTON: Cops in Sherman case get promoted, but will it stall the file now?

It’s been almost a year since the brutal double murder of billionaires Honey and Barry Sherman with no arrest of the killer or killers in sight.

torontosun.com

 

[Cedars]

bbm
Were they all rewarded for this more or less successful deception?

In fact, despite harsh criticism from the family of the slain philanthropic power couple famous for their company Apotex and for their charitable donations, all of the police players in this case have either been promoted or are on a list to be elevated up the ranks.

The latest is the lead detective on the Sherman file — Det.-Sgt. Sue Gomes, who made this week’s promotion’s list by Chief Mark Saunders.

WARMINGTON: Cops in Sherman case get promoted, but will it stall the file now?

It’s been almost a year since the brutal double murder of billionaires Honey and Barry Sherman with no arrest of the killer or killers in sight.

torontosun.com

So that means the primary goal of police officers should be to please the family of the victims, especially when they are rich?

If so, it would save taxpayers tons of money if we just paid police minimum wage and expected them to work for (financial) tips.

I think that's how they do it in some other countries, though we call those financial tips 'bribes'.

JMO

 

[FPoulet]

So that means the primary goal of police officers should be to please the family of the victims, especially when they are rich?

If so, it would save taxpayers tons of money if we just paid police minimum wage and expected them to work for (financial) tips.

I think that's how they do it in some other countries, though we call those financial tips 'bribes'.

JMO

I didn’t interpret the comment as meaning that.

I believe/hope the police were not solely working on the case as a m/s despite the press. I do think (whether in this case or not) police withhold facts/theories to make perpetrators feel more at ease — especially in cases of family violence. For example, be very nice to surviving husband who ultimately “finds body” by “luck”.

I don’t know what kind of inside knowledge Kevin Donovan has, but I am inclined to give the TPS more of the benefit of the doubt here, unless proven that we should not.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

I didn’t interpret the comment as meaning that.

I believe/hope the police were not solely working on the case as a m/s despite the press. I do think (whether in this case or not) police withhold facts/theories to make perpetrators feel more at ease — especially in cases of family violence. For example, be very nice to surviving husband who ultimately “finds body” by “luck”.

I don’t know what kind of inside knowledge Kevin Donovan has, but I am inclined to give the TPS more of the benefit of the doubt here, unless proven that we should not.

I hold the same views.

The trustees played a part in the investigation not getting off to a good start, imo. Almost immediately they blocked TPS access to Barry’s office and Apotex/Sherfam information until a deal to see part of the evidence was negotiated weeks later. I understand wanting to protect Apotex files, but for me that raised a red flag.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Could it be, the Police never did believe it was M/S, and set up a stream of dis-information through the media?
The TPS never did make any official statements until they declared it a murder investigation. All the information about M/S were media reports attributed to unknown Police sources.

With all the talk of M/S maybe the TPS was hoping the criminals would be lulled into a false sense of complacency and trip themselves up.

For this scenario to be true, we have to assume the TPS is quite sophisticated, even though there maybe historical evidence to the contrary.

If it was a planned ruse, at this time, it does not seem to have been effective.
MOO

The late Christie Blatchford said that she believed some of the initial TPS sources could have been officers that weren’t close enough to the investigation to know exactly what was going on. They may have only known about what the first impression of the scene was, but nothing more in-depth.

After the press conference about the WM, KD said he had absolutely no idea the police had that evidence. Imagine how many people, including civilian witnesses in the neighbourhood, who kept that completely secret for years. I found that impressive. I think there’s a lot of evidence they’re keeping quiet, imo.

 

[WINDSOR]

I hold the same views.

The trustees played a part in the investigation not getting off to a good start, imo. Almost immediately they blocked TPS access to Barry’s office and Apotex/Sherfam information until a deal to see part of the evidence was negotiated weeks later. I understand wanting to protect Apotex files, but for me that raised a red flag.

This has always been a very bothersome fact for me as well.

I would think Directors, executives, and managers of Apotex, where the founder, and very visible leader had died under suspicious circumstances, the key people would bend over backwards to facilitate the Police investigation. The idea these leaders would retain a legal team to block the Police investigation is mind-boggling to me to say the least.

It points to some possible scenarios.

• There was other illegal activity going at Apotex, which certain people at Apotex did not want the Police to learn about. (price fixing, anti-trust activities, illegal product sales and distribution, are just some examples)
• There was information at Apotex that could point to dis-satisfaction with BS, and the need to have him neutralized. The people who were having these discussions, certainly did not want their names known
• There was evidence of the actual plan for killing the Sherman's was at Apotex. Things like secret money transfers, and coded communications all could give the TPS leads.
• Since the TPS did not have limited access for about a week, much evidence could have been removed.

I wonder if there was some specific individuals in particular at Apotex, who was instrumental in delaying the TPS's investigation.

MOO

 

[dotr]

2023

Cops did not access Apotex founder Barry Sherman’s office until four weeks after the murders of Sherman and his wife Honey

Toronto Police were not allowed to access murder victim Barry Sherman’s office at Apotex headquarters until a month after the generic drug titan and his wife were killed, a Toronto

www.toronto.com

'Police spokesperson Gray said despite the delay in getting access to Sherman’s office, the force does not believe it compromised the investigation. “There is no evidence to suggest these records weren’t adequately secured before we received judicial authorization for access,” she said.'

'And while police were going through the Sherman home on Old Colony Road, they wanted to get inside Barry’s office at Apotex, a multibillion dollar company.

That’s where the access problem started. According to Apotex insiders who spoke to the Star on condition that they would not be identified (they did not have permission to speak for the company), police were rebuffed by an Apotex lawyer who said Barry Sherman’s computer and his paper files contained highly confidential information related to both the generic versions of the pharmaceuticals he was developing, and Sherman’s own side investments, run through family holding company Sherfam Inc.'

 

[Maumau1616]

I still believe someone close had access to Honey's emails and knew all of her comings and goings etc. The assistant said Honey didn't have a password.

I don't have a link to provide proof but I remember reading she would print her calendar appointments and leave them on the desk too.

 

[Maumau1616]

There was other illegal activity going at Apotex, which certain people at Apotex did not want the Police to learn about. (price fixing, anti-trust activities, illegal product sales and distribution, are just some examples)

MOO: Worked recently in the pharmacy business, and it's a well-known secret that Apotex (and other pharmaceutical manufacturers) provide illegal rebates to pharmacies who choose them as a manufacturer. They never put it in writing or use vague language to explain the offer to new potential pharmacy partners to avoid being caught during audits. I imagine the financials would be interesting to see. Again, MOO.

 

[dotr]

I don't have a link to provide proof but I remember reading she would print her calendar appointments and leave them on the desk too.

Suspicion | The Billionaire Murders: The hunt for the killers of Honey and Barry Sherman - S2 The Billionaire Murders | E8 Perfect Storm Transcript and Discussion

S2 The Billionaire Murders | E8 Perfect Storm - Suspicion | The Billionaire Murders: The hunt for the killers of Honey and Barry Sherman Transcript and Discussion

podscripts.co

rbbm
'' There's no one normally scheduled to come. The detective asked Sheila, how would someone access Honey's schedule, and the schedule for appointments at all colony? Honey didn't have a password on her phone or iPads. She kept all of her scheduled events in her Google calendar, which was linked to those devices. She liked me to print out her calendar appointments, and she kept them all clipped together with
Starting point is 00:21:15a fat black clip, kept on her desk beside the computer. She didn't like waste, so she used paper that was already printed on one side''

 

[RHR]

The late Christie Blatchford said that she believed some of the initial TPS sources could have been officers that weren’t close enough to the investigation to know exactly what was going on. They may have only known about what the first impression of the scene was, but nothing more in-depth.

After the press conference about the WM, KD said he had absolutely no idea the police had that evidence. Imagine how many people, including civilian witnesses in the neighbourhood, who kept that completely secret for years. I found that impressive. I think there’s a lot of evidence they’re keeping quiet, imo.

I think it's appalling the police did not show the walking man video the moment they confirmed with the neighbours they ha no idea who he was. The video should have gone out like an amber alert.
I have two friends in that area and one on the street. Both were never approached by the police ever.

 

[dotr]

MOO: Worked recently in the pharmacy business, and it's a well-known secret that Apotex (and other pharmaceutical manufacturers) provide illegal rebates to pharmacies who choose them as a manufacturer. They never put it in writing or use vague language to explain the offer to new potential pharmacy partners to avoid being caught during audits. I imagine the financials would be interesting to see. Again, MOO.

Lots of info in this handy and lengthy link..
By Kathleen Goldhar Apr. 2, 2023

https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/barry-honey-sherman-deaths-investigation

"In a civil litigation deposition, Sherman also said, “I like to say that when you’re in business, there are two ways of making money: one is to cheat other people, and the other is to build value. And my principle has always been to do what I can to build value and deal honourably and ethically with everybody.”
Eban has a hard time with this hero narrative when the generic drug world is rife with billionaires, dirty tricks and outright fraud. She said Apotex is no exception.
“Sometimes it’s generic companies fighting against one another. And in other instances, it is generic companies colluding with one another. So, for example, there is this vast case that has been brought against a number of generic drug manufacturers for price-fixing. And Apotex … has been identified as participating in this vast price-fixing scheme.”
In another instance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, after inspecting one of Apotex’s plants in India in 2017, found evidence that the company was using fraudulent data in the manufacture of one of its drugs. The FDA put out an import alert against the company, meaning that they were restricting Apotex drugs from entering the U.S. market.
“That is a very heavy penalty for a company. I mean, it’s a vast financial loss,” Eban said. “To this day, the company is still digging out from those sorts of problems.”
Eban doesn’t think it’s a stretch to imagine someone would want Barry Sherman out of the way.
“I absolutely think there could be a hit on his life because of the work he did. Do I think it was Big Pharma? I have an immediate reaction to that… no,” she said.''

 

[WINDSOR]

Watched an excerpt last night of "How to Hire a Hitman". They showed that by accessing the Dark Web, there are a number of Murder for Hire sites available and active. Payment was in crypto-currency.

Some believe these sites are scams like this NY Times article implies Can You Really Hire a Hit Man on the Dark Web? (Published 2020)

No doubt there many scammers, however it is not too much of a stretch to believe that real hitmen are active on the Dark Web, just based on the demand.

Interesting

 

[dotr]

Jun 26, 2022 #4Docs #Channel4
The site on the dark web allowed people to hire a hitman to take out those they had grievances against. Those behind the hirings thought their secret was safe, until a data leak revealed their identities - and the names of people who had been targeted. But is the website all it appeared to be - or was it masquerading a dark crime.Yinka Bokinni investigates.

Sep 2, 2021
For as long as money has existed, there have been plenty of people willing to kill for it. Contract killing is one of the world’s oldest professions. In The Business of Crime, VICE looks at different parts of the criminal economy, separating fact from myth and finding out the reality of the murder-for-hire industry. From the dark web to criminal mercenaries, we find out how contract killers are hired around the world and whether the online markets are actually just scammers and law enforcement.

Nov 27, 2021
Bob Innes is the webmaster of RentAHitman.com -- a joke website that some people, unknowingly, take far too seriously.

 

[ldlager]

MOO: Worked recently in the pharmacy business, and it's a well-known secret that Apotex (and other pharmaceutical manufacturers) provide illegal rebates to pharmacies who choose them as a manufacturer. They never put it in writing or use vague language to explain the offer to new potential pharmacy partners to avoid being caught during audits. I imagine the financials would be interesting to see. Again, MOO.

That practice has been in place for decades. About 7 or 8 years ago rebates were made illegal, certainly in Ontario. Apotex was not doing anything different than any other generic manufacturers. And in accepting the rebates, pharmacies are just as culpable as the manufacturers.

 

[ldlager]

I think it's appalling the police did not show the walking man video the moment they confirmed with the neighbours they ha no idea who he was. The video should have gone out like an amber alert.
I have two friends in that area and one on the street. Both were never approached by the police ever.

I feel your pain. I have 2 friends who were in senior management positions with Apotex. They dealt with BS daily, for many years. One of them has never been contacted by LE.