On Friday, Dec. 15, Barry Sherman, a self-made billionaire in the Canadian pharmaceutical industry, and his philanthropist wife, Honey, were found dead by the real estate agent helping to sell their $7 million mansion in a wealthy Toronto neighborhood, according to news story published Dec. 16 by the Toronto Star, a daily Canadian newspaper, and a subsequent report by the Washington Post. Their deaths are now being investigated as a possible homicide, according to a news release broadcast Sunday by the Toronto Police Service.

The agent, who remains unnamed, came by the Sherman’s home in north Toronto after attempting and failing to reach the couple with the intent to prep the property for an open house, news reports said.

The Toronto PS responded to a medical call and later determined that Barry, formerly the chairman and founder of generic pharmaceutical manufacturer Apotex; and Honey, who was a staple in the Jewish community, having served as chair of the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto and the Holocaust Education Centre, according to the Washington Post; died from “ligature neck compression.” The couple had been found hanging from the railing that surrounded their indoor pool in the basement, according to a CNBC article published Monday, which also reported that Barry had a long history of legal disputes.

On Tuesday, the Toronto Star wrote that one of these disputes was reportedly a lawsuit against the builders of the Sherman’s home for which the Shermans recouped $2 million in 2006.

On Saturday the Toronto PS had confirmed with the Toronto Star that the deaths at the time were being investigated as a possible murder suicide — which the Sherman’s four children vehemently denied to the media — but Toronto PS Homicide has now taken over the investigation and is calling for community members to call, text or message their Crime Stoppers team if they have any tips on what may have happened.

The mansion, located at 50 Old Colony Road and reportedly worth $6.9 million, has been removed from the MLS, and there’s no word if the home will be put back on the market in the future.

“Sophie (Grégoire Trudeau) and I are saddened by news of the sudden passing of Barry and Honey Sherman,” wrote Canadian PM Justin Trudeau on Twitter Friday. “Our condolences to their family & friends, and to everyone touched by their vision & spirit.”

Email Marian McPherson.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×