Toronto cops have appealed for the public’s help after releasing this video of a suspect linked to the 2017 murder of drug company billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife, who were strangled to death with leather belts attached to the railing around their swimming pool.
During a press conference at the Toronto police headquarters on 14th December, spokesperson Brandon Price said the video showed the suspect walking near the home of Barry and Honey Sherman on the night they were believed to have been killed, on 13th December 2017.
Barry, 75, founder of drug giant Apotex, and his wife Honey, 70, were found dead in their home in the Toronto neighbourhood of North York on 15th December.
Price said the suspect in the footage is the only person the police have been unable to identify and rule out from their investigation.
He stated: “We have been able to eliminate the vast majority of people captured on the video. We are left with one individual, whom we have been unable to identify.”
The police hope to find out more about the suspect, as the person was observed walking into a “defined area” out of shot of CCTV cameras before remaining there a while and then leaving.
Price said: “Through our investigation, we have been unable to determine what this individual’s purpose was in the neighbourhood. The timing of this individual’s appearance is in line with when we believe the murders took place.
“Based on this evidence, we are classifying this individual as a suspect.”
The police said the suspect is between 5’6″ and 5’9″ tall, but the individual’s race, gender, and other physical attributes cannot be identified.
As a result, the police have asked the public to come forward with any information leading to the suspect’s identification.
The local authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the individual had a good reason for being outside the house at the time.
The billionaire and his wife, well-known in Toronto for their philanthropy, were found side by side with belts around their necks that were attached to the railing around their swimming pool.
The autopsy results determined that they died of “ligature neck compression”, a form of strangulation, and the authorities said that there were no signs of a forced entry at the property.
After nearly four years of investigating the couple’s deaths, this is the first time the police have announced that they have a suspect.
Price said the police have carried out around 250 interviews and 992 “investigative actions” as well as receiving over 1,000 tips from members of the public.
Meanwhile, the victims’ family has reportedly offered a reward of CAD 10 million (GBP 5.9 million) for information leading to a conviction as well as hiring a team of private investigators to probe the deaths.
