Bernie Madoff, rise and fall of the biggest swindler on Wall Street 3:15
(CNN) --
The sister of infamous Ponzi swindler Bernie Madoff and her husband have been found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, according to a Florida police news release.
Officers responding to a 911 call found 87-year-old Sondra Wiener and her 90-year-old husband Marvin dead of gunshot wounds at their Boynton Beach, Fla., home on Thursday, the Florida sheriff's office said. Palm Beach County in Sunday's statement.
"Detectives from the Violent Crimes Division arrived at the scene to further investigate. After further investigation, it appears to be a murder-suicide," the statement said.
So far, authorities have not revealed which party carried out the murder-suicide, but the sheriff's office said the cause of death will ultimately be determined by the medical examiner.
The couple's family has invoked Marsy's Law for Marvin Wiener, according to the sheriff's office, a state law that allows victims to assert the right to keep personally identifiable information confidential when necessary to prevent harassment.
According to US Census records, Sondra Wiener is the sister of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff, who died last year at age 82 while serving a 150-year sentence in federal prison.
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Madoff, born in the New York borough of Queens, was the mastermind behind a $20 billion Ponzi scheme, the largest financial fraud in history.
Family tragedies followed his conviction.
Madoff had two sons, both of whom worked for his company.
Mark Madoff, the eldest son, committed suicide in 2010. His other son, Andrew, died of cancer in 2014.
Madoff and Sondra Wiener's brother, Peter, also served a 10-year prison sentence for his part in the scheme.
He was sentenced in 2012 and released from prison in November 2019, to house arrest.
His home confinement ended in August 2020.
Call 1-800-273-8255 in the US to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Provides free and confidential assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for people in suicidal or distressed crisis. You can learn more about their services here, including their guide on what to do if you spot suicidal signs on social media. You can also call 1-800-273-8255 to speak with someone about how you can help someone in crisis. Call 1-866-488-7386 for TrevorLifeline, a suicide prevention counseling service for the LGBTQ community.
For assistance outside the US, the International Association for Suicide Prevention provides a global directory of resources and international hotlines. You can also turn to Befrienders Worldwide.
See here where to look for help in Latin American countries and Spain.
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