NEWS

Police still mum about ‘suspicious’ deaths on Old Colony Road

The two deaths at 50 Old Colony Road are still being treated as “suspicious,” say Toronto police two days after the bodies were discovered.

Police have yet to identify the deceased, because they do so only in homicide cases, according to media relations officer David Hopkinson. So far it has not been determined whether murder was involved, he said on Sunday.

However, media have widely reported the deceased to be billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife Honey, occupants of the house in the York Mills area.

Emergency crews had responded to a medical call at the address just before noon hour on Friday. Police reported on Twitter at 3:42 p.m. they had been called in and “two people were found deceased”.

By 5:38, Apotex, the pharmaceutical company founded by Sherman, was tweeting, “We’ve been informed of the tragic news that Barry and Honey Sherman have unexpectedly passed away.”

Police said Friday evening they weren’t looking for a culprit and the surrounding community was not being warned of any danger. Police reported finding no sign of forced entry into the house.

Autopsies on the bodies were scheduled for Saturday to help determine if foul play was involved. But police had no update by Sunday morning and were still classifying the deaths as suspicious, Const. Hopkinson said.

Old Colony Road
SUSPICIOUS DEATHS: Police are still investigating at the Old Colony Road home of Barry and Honey Sherman.

Other media have cited unnamed sources to say the bodies were found hanging from a railing around the home’s indoor swimming pool.

At least one such source said they were discovered by a realtor showing the house.

The house had been listed for sale for more than weeks, although the listing now appears to have been removed. A sign is still planted in front of the house, though now with police tape tied to it. The house was listed with an asking price of $6.988 million. It features both an indoor and outdoor pool, as well as five bedrooms, nine bathrooms, tennis court, and underground parking for six cars.

Apotex is an multinational pharmaceutical organization that employs more than 11,000 people in facilities around the world, according to the company’s website. As chairperson, Sherman, 75, remained committed to the Canadian roots of the company he founded, overseeing more than 6,000 employees and 21 facilities across Canada, the website said in mourning his death.

Since the deaths were reported, media have featured obituaries for the Shermans and have been flooded with accolades for the couple’s philanthropy.