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Toronto police released security camera footage of a suspect in the killing of billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife in their Toronto mansion in 2017 but need the public's help in identifying the individual.
Sherman, 75, and his wife, Honey, were found dead in their indoor pool, hanging by their necks on a railing and partially seated on the pool deck. Sherman founded Apotex Inc., a generic drug maker, and previously wrote in a book he "mused that a rival might want to kill him."
Police released camera footage that shows a man or woman dressed in a hat, roughly 5-foot-6 to 5- foot-9, walking on the sidewalk. The person seems to be kicking up their right boot with each step. The suspect's face is not visible in the video.
Detective Sergeant. Brandon Price said the suspect spent "a very suspicious amount of time" near Sherman's home and the surrounding area when they were killed.
According to police, everyone on the security footage seen in the area around the time of the murder has been largely eliminated. They said they are highly confident the suspect wearing the hat in the video is linked to the crime.
Sherman was known for litigiousness and aggressive business practices as he developed Apotex, which had a global work force of about 11,000.
Police have other videos of the suspect but said the video released is the best footage.
"This individuals actions are highly suspicious," Price said.
The couple was among Canada's most generous philanthropists, and their deaths shocked Canadian high society and the country's Jewish community. They made numerous multimillion-dollar donations to hospitals, schools and charities and had buildings named in their honor. They hosted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a Liberal Party fundraiser in 2015.
The day after the bodies were found, some prominent news media outlets quoted unidentified police officials as saying the deaths appeared to be a murder-suicide. That upset the couple's four adult children, who then hired their own team of investigators and a pathologist, who conducted second autopsies on the Shermans.
Police later said publicly they believed the Shermans were murdered.
Friends and family say the couple had been making plans for the future. They had recently listed their home in Toronto for 6.9 million Canadian dollars ($5.3 million) and were building a new home in the city.
Sherman faced legal action from cousins who said they had been cut out of the company over the years. A judge dismissed the claim just months before the couple was found dead.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
