The private investigation into the murders of billionaire couple Barry and Honey Sherman launched by their family has concluded but Toronto police are still asking for the public’s help with a new tip line.
Insp. Hank Idsinga with the homicide squad told reporters Monday that Toronto police have received 205 tips and that the private investigator team hired by the Sherman’s received 343 tips.
“The family and the police urge anyone who has reliable information regarding the murders, no matter how small or unimportant that information may seem, to contact the police,” Idsinga said.
The press conference comes shortly after after the two-year anniversary of their deaths. Both Barry and Honey were found inside their Toronto home on Old Colony Road near Bayview Avenue and Highway 401 just before 11:45 a.m. on Dec. 15, 2017.
Police have also set up a direct email address for the case. Tips can be provided at shermantips@torontopolice.on.ca or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477.
In October 2018, the Sherman family put up a $10-million reward for any major tips that would crack the unsolved case. The family is still offering the reward, Idsinga said.
“That reward is still outstanding. And all we are doing now is moving the responsibility of collecting the information back to the police service where it should belong,” Idsinga said. “At the end of the day it’s still the Sherman’s responsibility to decide what they want to do with that tip money.”
Police are also asking those who submitted tips to the private investigator team to re-submit them to Toronto police as they are now solely in charge of the investigation.
Investigators said Barry and Honey were found dead in the lower-level pool area, reportedly hanging by belts from a railing on the pool deck and wearing their clothing. A post-mortem examination determined the Shermans died of “ligature neck compression.” It was also determined that the couple likely died two days before they were found on Dec. 13, 2017.
Police ruled the deaths of the billionaire couple a double homicide.
Idsinga said 150 items have been submitted to the Centre of Forensic Science for testing, 243 witnesses have been interviewed, and four terabytes of security video have been obtained.
Idsinga added that solving the case has been a priority for the police and said that although it’s been two years, other cases have been be solved years later.
“There’s lots of speculation and there’s lots of theories. We’re still combing through a lot of information,” Idsinga said.
The Sherman family was not in attendance.
— With files from Jessica Patton.