Cannot recall if the 10 million$ reward still stands, but found this sentiment about rewards in general interesting- rbbm.
What money can't buy: information
2007
''Money is offered for "evidence leading to the arrest and conviction" of the culprit. That evidence must be given in court and prosecutors must successfully convict the accused - a deterrent for would-be snitches.
Yet a reward can be valuable in other ways. If a suspect is under surveillance, the announcement of a reward can bring incriminating phone calls or other giveaways.
"It might get the bad guy or bad girl thinking, 'Which one of my friends is going to rat me out for a hundred grand?' " Mr. Mendelson says.''
Dec 16, 2019
Interesting article dotr. I could be wrong, but I have surmised after following many cases, that LE do not offer a reward (and deter family from doing so) until their investigation has run it's course. They don't want to be distracted by false leads and tips motivated by money. They do seem to offer a reward when they are stuck, and need a piece of the puzzle, and know that "someone" knows how to fill it in.
But the conditions of the Sherman family $10 million reward is unique and can't be compared to any other reward offered in Canada. (It is still being offered the last I read).
Departing from protocol around rewards offered by police or CrimeStoppers, lawyer Greenspan did not provide a police number to the public. He provided two dedicated numbers set up by the Sherman family. This was ten months after his investigation into the muders.
Saunders (Toronto Police Chief) said he had concerns with how the integrity of any evidence or information obtained by investigators not with the police would be handled, although he welcomed the reward. I recall TPS had a lawyer involved to agree with proper transmission of info, but it never happened, and TPS didn't receive any of Greenspan's info for many months.
Although Greenspan offered to have a police rep on his committee to assess the worthiness of tips, that never happened. Why would it when TPS were cut out of hearing all of the tips first hand? I have to wonder what Greenspan's team learned in the ten months before the reward was offered to make the decision to have all tips come to their private numbers, and not police or CrimeStoppers.
Two years after the murders, Greenspan's team was out (initiated by daughter Alex, per KD) and TPS finally had the family's confidence to handle the investigation. As we have learned recently, JS was not part of that decision, and has hired his own legal and investigative team, in yet another parallel investigation to TPS.
Noteworthy in Insp.Hank Idsinga's press conference (Dec. 2019) when he announced that Greenspan's investigation was finished, his request that anyone who submitted information to his private investigators should now share those details again with the Toronto police. He declined to elaborate on communications between the two sides, but said officers are asking people to send their tips in again to make sure the force has all the necessary information. In my opinion, that public request suggests his lack of confidence in Greenspan being totally transparent in providing all of the tips that came in. (After all he is a defense lawyer).
Per JS, certainly his sister suspects him of being involved. I think Alex, and her sisters turned to TPS to find the truth.
So, who would pass up a $10 million reward? I think some people have important information pointing to a suspect (as KD has noted) but if it was a professional hit, it would be hard to prove with the apparent lack of crime scene evidence. Without a witness coming forward, I don't see this case going to court.
SHERMAN MURDERS: Toronto cops, family make statement | Toronto Sun
(the harmless version of broken promise).
