Bernie Madoff's Sister and Her Husband Killed in Suspected Murder-Suicide

The bodies of Sondra Wiener, 87, and 90-year-old Marvin Weiner were discovered in the garage of their Valencia Lakes home in Florida, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office confirmed.

They were both shot dead. It is not yet clear whom police suspect pulled the trigger.

"Deputies responded to a 911 call advising a male and female were unresponsive inside their residence.  Upon arrival deputies located an elderly female and male deceased from a gunshot wound," the Sheriff's office said in a statement.

"Detectives from the Violent Crimes Division arrived on scene to investigate further. After further investigation it appears to be a murder/suicide."

Investigators initially did not reveal the names of the victims; however, a community letter to the residents of the gated community, obtained by BocaNewsNow, confirmed their identity.

"Let me start off by stating that as many of you have heard, we had a tragic situation on Barca Boulevard regarding the passing of Sondra and Marvin Weiner. Our thoughts and condolences go out to their family," the email read.

"There is currently an investigation pending. All I can say is at this time there is no security or safety threat to anyone in the community."

Madoff, a stock broker and financial advisor, was convicted in 2009 of orchestrating a massive Ponzi scheme that defrauded tens of thousands of investors out of billions of dollars.

His sister and brother-in-law were sued the following year by a trustee representing the victims, accusing them of receiving "at least $1,715,000 of other people's money", the Sun Sentinel reported at the time.

However, it was also reported at the time that the couple were victim's of Madoff's scheme too; neighbors told the New York Post at the time they had lost as much as $3million, and were forced to sell their $1million Palm Beach estate, moving into a more modest $310k home in 2009 — the home where they would ultimately be found dead.

Madoff died in prison on April 21 2021, of chronic kidney disease, just 12 years into his 150-year sentence. He was 82.

His now 80-year-old wife Ruth, who was stripped of almost all of her $70million in assets after her husband's conviction, said she and her husband had attempted suicide when the scheme was uncovered, but failed.

Both of their sons died in their 40s while their dad was in prison: 46-year-old Mark Madoff was found hanged in his New York apartment in 2010, while his brother Andrew died of cancer in 2014, aged 48.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.