Bernie Madoff's sister and her husband found dead in apparent murder-suicide

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Sondra Wiener, the 87-year-old sister of disgraced financier Bernie Madoff, was found dead Thursday with her 90-year-old husband, Marvin, in what investigators say is an apparent murder-suicide at their house.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a 911 call Thursday afternoon and found the couple dead, both with a gunshot wound, inside their suburban Boynton Beach home.

The medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death. Detectives with the Violent Crimes Division investigated the scene.

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A woman who identified herself as the wife of son David Wiener asked for privacy “at this time of grief.”

Contacted by phone, she said: “We are not making any comment at this time.”

Madoff was infamously known for orchestrating a massive Ponzi scheme that wiped out people’s fortunes and ruined charities. He was sentenced to 150 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2009 to fraud and other charges and died while incarcerated at age 82 last year.

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Madoff had a home in Palm Beach and met many of his victims through connections at the Palm Beach Country Club. Madoff's brother Peter also had a vacation home in Palm Beach.

The Wieners reportedly lost millions to Madoff's scheme, and were sued in 2010 for having "received at least $1,715,000 of other people's money" from 2002 to 2008.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

Contributing: Palm Beach Post staff writer Mike Diamond; Associated Press

Follow reporter Hannah Morse on Twitter: @mannahhorse

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Bernie Madoff's sister, husband found dead in apparent murder-suicide