A murder suspect in Toronto is being investigated as a possible serial killer after police found dismembered remains on a property connected to Bruce McArthur, a landscaper who was arrested last week on double murder charges.
Police found three bodies at the residential property, bringing a possible death toll to five — authorities have indicated that they expect to find more bodies.
CTV News reports that McArthur was arrested on January 18 for the murders of Andrew Kinsman, 49, and Selim Esen, 44, who both went missing last summer from a neighborhood popular with Toronto’s gay community. Their bodies have not been found, but authorities revealed that they had been investigating McArthur in connection to those deaths since October.
On Monday, Toronto police announced in a news conference that investigators found three dismembered bodies on a property that McArthur is known to have used for storage.
Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga told reporters that while the bodies are pending investigation, McArthur was charged in connection with the presumed deaths of three more men: Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi and Dean Lisowick.
The bodies were reportedly found dismembered and hidden on a residential property, and some of the remains had been dismembered.
“It’s a serial killer – alleged serial killer,” Idsinga told reporters.
“The City of Toronto has never seen anything like this.”
Idsinga said at the news conference that investigators will be searching planters throughout the city for additional remains, and asked anyone who had hired McArthur as a landscaper to contact authorities.
“We do believe there are more, and I have no idea how many more there are going to be,” Idsinga said. “We’ll lay more charges as we get them.”
A source told the news station that investigators found photos of the victims at McArthur’s residence, but authorities have not publicly commented on this.
While some of McArthur’s victims are reportedly of Middle Eastern descent and/or members of the LGBT community, police said that not all of the victims fit the same profile.
“It certainly encompasses more than the gay community – it encompasses the city of Toronto,” he said.
McArthur has a violent criminal history: He was convicted of assault in 2001, and received a conditional two-year sentence in 2003. He was also ordered to avoid spending time with male prostitutes.
This a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
[Feature image: Handout/Bruce McArthur]
