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

• Late Wall Street Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff's sister and her husband were found dead last week.
• Florida police said deputies found the couple dead from gunshot wounds on February 17.

The elderly sister of the notorious late Wall Street Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff and her husband were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide at their Florida home last week, police said.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said on Sunday that deputies responded to a 911 call in Boynton Beach, Florida, on February 17 and discovered 87-year-old Sondra Wiener, and her 90-year-old husband, identified only as Marvin, dead from gunshot wounds.

Wiener is the older sister of fraudster Madoff, who died in a federal prison last year at the age of 82 after scamming thousands of people for billions of dollars, multiple news outlets, including the Associated Press, reported.

According to the sheriff's office, "Detectives from the Violent Crimes Division arrived on scene to investigate further. After further investigation it appears to be a murder/suicide."

It was not immediately clear what the motive was behind the incident or what led up to it.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Insider on Monday.

The family of the man who was found dead invoked Marsy's Law, which is designed to protect the identity of crime victims, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office identified the man only as Marvin in its news release on the matter.

"The Medical Examiner's Office personnel arrived on scene and took possession of both Marvin and Sondra," police said, adding that the cause of death of the pair will be determined by the medical examiner.

Wiener's son, David Wiener, told the New York Post in 2009 that his family was among those ripped off by Madoff.

"Yes, my family's a victim. More so than anybody else. It's very painful," David Wiener told the news outlet.

An anonymous source told the New York Post at the time that Sondra Wiener "lost millions" as a result of her brother's $65 billion Ponzi scheme.

The source estimated Sondra Wiener's loss at $3 million.