[235], In January 2018, the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP) demanded that the TPSB commission an external review of the investigation. [186] McArthur had hundreds of post-mortem digital photographs of his victims,[187] which were recovered forensically after he tried to delete them. [7] In addition to raising McArthur and his sister, his parents fostered troubled children from Toronto, often with six to ten in their care at any given time, and had a good reputation in the area according to a family friend. In McArthur's bedroom, officers found a bag with duct tape, a surgical glove, rope, zip ties, a bungee cord and syringes as well as DNA belonging to multiple victims inside McArthur's van and . [62] A partial download from McArthur's computer, which was going through forensic analysis[64] of deleted files, yielded post-mortem photos of the victims that day. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. [42] Police briefly investigated a possible link between Navaratnam's murder and convicted murderer Luka Magnotta, although this lead was eventually abandoned for lack of evidence. [132], Investigators had planned to return to the thirty properties associated with McArthur in April or May, when the frozen ground had thawed, allowing cadaver dogs to operate with greater accuracy. The documentary includes interviews with Toronto police investigators Det. [115] Police later received over 500 tips regarding the photo and were checking on 22 potential identities. He also stated that he believed there were serious issues of systemic bias which required an independent external review, and that he had been working with other officials on how to hold such a review without affecting investigations and prosecutions. [89] Navaratnam was a Tamil refugee from Sri Lanka and had no family members in Canada.[145][148]. Missing persons posters plastered the sidewalks. After searching a property linked to McArthur at Mallory Crescent in midtown Toronto, police discovered dismembered skeletal remains in the bottom of large planters that belong to at least three yet-to-be identified people. [211] According to one source, McArthur was placed under arrest and taken from 41Division in Scarborough to 32Division in North York where the investigation continued. ", "Police investigated Bruce McArthur for months before telling public there was no evidence of serial killer", "Police 'covertly' searched McArthur's apartment for evidence of Kinsman's death a month before arrest, unsealed documents show", "Police investigating McArthur since October: Auto shop owner", "Police visited auto parts shop where accused killer sold van, owner says", "Police continue to comb through Toronto properties linked to Bruce McArthur", "Traces of blood found by police in Bruce McArthur's vehicle, auto shop owner says", "Police investigated alleged serial killer for months before arrest", "Police secretly cloned Bruce McArthur's computer before his arrest, source says", "Police warn residents about dating apps after disappearances in Church-Wellesley neighbourhood", "Officer implicated in 2016 McArthur arrest says he's being made 'fall guy' for Toronto police errors on serial killings", "Man found tied to McArthur's bed when police made arrest: source", "Police made quick decision to arrest Bruce McArthur to protect life of young man: sources", "Restrained man found in alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur's apartment at time of arrest, sources say", "How alleged Toronto serial killer Bruce McArthur went unnoticed", "Toronto gay village murders suspect was under surveillance for weeks: source", "Suspected serial killer Bruce McArthur charged with 3 more murders; remains of bodies recovered from planters", "Twisted Trophy: Cops release shock photo of suspected victim of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur", "More Charges Against Alleged Serial Killer", "Bruce McArthur now facing 6 murder charges", "Police investigate properties in Scarborough and Madoc with links to accused killer Bruce McArthur", "Police release two Ontario properties connected to Toronto serial-murder investigation", "Report links accused killer Bruce McArthur to Toronto man missing since 2010", "Search intensifies at Leaside property linked with accused killer Bruce McArthur", "Search resumes of Leaside property connected to Bruce McArthur", "Alleged Toronto serial killer buried victims' remains in planter boxes: police", "Toronto alleged serial killer case draws parallels to Robert Pickton", "Serial killer case: Disposal of remains indicator of psychopath, experts say", "Accused serial killer Bruce McArthur ranks with Gacy, Dahmer", "Police probe of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur turns up remains of six people, more charges expected", "Another first-degree murder charge for McArthur", "Remains of at least 6 people found in potted plants in Canadian serial killer probe", "Toronto Serial Killer Was Landscaper Who Murdered 5 and Buried Victims in Planters, Authorities Suspect", "Toronto officers investigating alleged serial killer seize planter from Danforth home", "Police intensify search at Leaside home connected to Bruce McArthur", "Alleged Toronto Serial Murderer Unearthed in East York", "Tips on alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur coming from around the world: Toronto police", "Toronto police searching basement of home connected to alleged serial killer", "Police to wrap up search for alleged serial killer victims at Leaside home", "Alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur appears in court via video", "Police will descend on 30 GTA properties linked to Bruce McArthur in search for more human remains", "Excavation could start by midweek at property where Bruce McArthur allegedly hid human remains", "Sister fears foul play in Meaford man's disappearance", "Some of the Gay Village murder victims were allegedly killed at Bruce McArthur's apartment", "Toronto police say trove of evidence found in alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur's apartment", "Bruce McArthur: Police end exhaustive four-month search of accused serial killer's apartment", "Police charge Bruce McArthur with sixth case of first-degree murder", "Alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur facing sixth murder charge", "Bruce McArthur was previously questioned, released by police in separate incident", "3 more sets of remains identified in alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur investigation: police", "Toronto police have identified the deceased man alleged to be Bruce McArthur victim", "Tips pour in after police release grim photo of man believed to be victim of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur", "Investigation into alleged serial killer McArthur expands as new charge laid", "Toronto police ID dead man in photo linked to Bruce McArthur case", "Bruce McArthur charged with 1st-degree murder of Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam", "Latest victim of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur led lonely life, friends say", "They thought he was hiding: The story behind the Tamil migrant believed to be Bruce McArthur's eighth victim", "Toronto police name eighth victim of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur", "Eighth murder charge for alleged Toronto serial killer Bruce McArthur", "Bruce McArthur, 'alleged serial killer,' now linked to sixth Toronto-area death", "Bruce McArthur charged with sixth first-degree murder. [55] Kinsman was active on social media[39] but investigators found his cell phone was turned off the day he disappeared. A memorial for Kinsman was held in September, and Mahmudi and Esen's funerals were held in mid-October. [172], Several media outlets had applied for the release of the psychiatric and presentencing reports from McArthur's 2003 assault conviction. He was not to purchase, possess or consume drugs without a medical prescription, and specifically not to possess poppers. Moore Avenue connects to Mallory Crescent and the Leaside residence where McArthur stored his landscaping equipment. It means that were all vulnerable., Knowing why a loved one was killed doesnt make someone feel better, but it does allow people to put some distance between them and the crime, Fleming said. [209] The man alleges this happened in April 2017,[3] about the time that Esen disappeared. Who is Toronto Village Killer Bruce McArthur and where is he now? The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox. Lisowick's remains were laid to rest in late October. [68], On October 3, plainclothes police officers arrived at Dom's Auto Parts in Courtice, Ontario, 70 kilometres (43mi) northeast of Toronto. He further suggested that the review consider systemic bias in the force. McArthur, who . [6], McArthur was bussed to nearby Fenelon Falls Secondary School for his secondary education, where he met and began dating Janice Campbell, both graduating in 1970. [178][179], On January 28, 2019, TPS announced an anticipated "significant development" in McArthur's case the following day. McArthur put a black bag over his head and tried to tape his mouth shut before police officers interrupted him. [44] Jooyoung Lee, a University of Toronto associate professor who teaches a course on serial homicides, said in November 2017 that the disappearances had the warning signs of a serial killer but that it remained unclear and that serial killers were very rare. Typical of serial killers, McArthur targeted marginalized people, in this case primarily gay men of colour, some of whom were leading double lives in Torontos LGBTQ community. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Like most serial killers, his MO had a ritualistic quality. ", "Tory doubles down on call for probe into police handling of missing persons cases linked to Gay Village", "Saunders vows to make changes, explore bias amid criticism of McArthur case handling", "Police chief defends handling of McArthur case", "Police search gardens for alleged serial killer victims", "Did cops let Bruce McArthur slip through fingers in 2016? That said, Fleming added, its only after the legal process is complete can grieving truly begin. [106], Rosemond noted at a February 14, 2018, hearing that it was McArthur's third court appearance without disclosure. pic.twitter.com/H7QzizB6XN. He described the ongoing case as unprecedented, with hundreds of officers involved and thirty properties to be searched. [164] In mid-March the same year, Cantlon said one package of disclosure had been made to McArthur's lawyers, with more to be expected in the following weeks, some in excess of 10,000 pages owing to the case's complexity. The voice thats missing is the killers. [150] He was an immigrant from Afghanistan. Those sad, tormenting secrets are now locked somewhere inside the black void that is McArthur. [247], The review is to examine TPS handling of missing-persons reports, biases within the service, and any obstacles that prevented Lisowick and Kanagaratnam from being reported missing. He sometimes shaved their heads or beards. Progress was made but criticisms following McArthur's arrest led to an April 2 statement by Pride's executive director and five LGBT organizations asking the TPS to withdraw its application to march in uniform. [8], Just after noon on October 31, 2001,[16] a few weeks after his 50th birthday, McArthur followed actor and model Mark Henderson into his apartment building after being invited into Henderson's apartment[17] to see his Halloween costume. [9][22][23], McArthur avoided incarceration, spending the first year of his sentence under house arrest,[17] followed by a six-month curfew and three years of probation. The victim called 9-1-1 after he escaped while McArthur went to the police and said the incident was consensual. Downer's group, the Missing Rainbow Community, provided strategies for staying safe when meeting people from dating apps. Canadian serial killer Bruce McArthur has been handed a life sentence for the murder of eight men. [11] At about this time he was attempting to gain work as a landscaper. [116][117] They also announced that a seventh set of remains had been recovered from the Leaside planters. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution But instead of it being a time of joy, as it is for many, for the roly-poly sock salesman it appeared to add more torment and anger. [238] Tory's March 7 call for a public provincial inquiry was reviewed by Ontario's attorney general, who cautiously suggested that it wait until after criminal proceedings. Such surroundings were obviously not conducive for coming out as gay. [107][118] Michael Pollanen, Ontario's chief forensic pathologist, said his organization had never before been involved in an investigation with such scope, drawing on the skills of each member for many unique challenges, such as scientific issues related to decomposition and post-mortem dismemberment. A further charge of carrying a concealed weapon was withdrawn at the time. Lives could have been saved: Family of McArthur victim Selim Esen calls for public inquiry, Eight men, eight stories: What we know about serial killer Bruce McArthurs victims, McArthur is the oldest confirmed serial killer in Canadian history. [39][153] Kayhan was an immigrant from Afghanistan,[145] who fled to Canada with his wife and children in the late 1980s. rights reserved. On January 29, 2019, McArthur pleaded guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder in Ontario Superior Court[1] and was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment with no eligibility for parole for twenty-five years. I dont think people often pause to think about the larger social factors that go into enabling a killer like Bruce McArthur to continue getting away with his crimes, says Lee. ", Audience Relations, CBC P.O. The search for a killer's motive is often unsatisfying, experts say. [39] Kinsman, who was openly gay and had deep roots in the community, was regarded as a stable and responsible man whose friends felt would not suddenly leave, and certainly not without his cat[18] or his prescription medicine. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Younger men of South Asian or Middle Eastern descent were in several pictures. The Act was passed in March 2018[236] by Ontario's Liberal government as part of Bill 175, but as of October2018[update] it has been stalled by the new Progressive Conservative government of Premier Doug Ford with no timeline for bringing it into effect. [207][234], The missing persons unit, staffed by six police detectives and an analyst, began work in July 2018. The charge came as Faizi's remains were identified from the Leaside planters, along with those of Esen and Lisowick. [86] Police had received tips from around the world, including countries where McArthur had vacationed. Vetere said that officers later told him that they had found trace amounts of blood in the vehicle. [248] Past reviews are also to be examined including the review into the 1981 bathhouse raids, the city auditor's report following the Paul Callow investigation, and the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry following the Robert Pickton case in British Columbia. He said that most of the men appeared to be "East Indian" and that Todd said that they were men whom his father knew. [64] By late August or September 2017[27][40][62] they matched the van from surveillance video of McArthur's apartment, but it was no longer at his residence. [219] Gauthier's lawyer and Toronto Police Association (TPA) President Mike McCormack have stated that the case should be heard by an independent judge instead of a tribunal officer appointed by Saunders. Perhaps emboldened by this newfound mobility and freedom, McArthur finally came out to his wife and family toward the end of the 1990s. [199], Gay activists and editorial writers have suggested that police only looked at the disappearances seriously when a white man, Andrew Kinsman, was reported missing. [123][125], The scope of the investigation was expanded at the end of February 2018, looking at outstanding murder cases, hundreds of missing-persons cases and sudden death occurrences and coordinating with other Canadian and international forces. He tries to approach true crime stories with sensitivity, not glorifying a serial killer, he says. As McArthur's lust intensified a number of men began disappearing from the rainbow community. [137], Between July 4 and 13,[138] twenty police investigators conducted excavations in the forested ravine behind the Leaside property. [50] Some questioned whether police had been taking their concerns seriously. [58] Her disappearance was reported by her father in early November 2017, four months after her Facebook account went dormant. [123] A version cleaned up by Ward to better represent the man in life and a sketch by a TPS forensic artist were released at an April 11 news conference. [108] On February1011 the search of the house was completed and it was released to its owners after more than three weeks. Police released a description of a 26-year-old man . [41], Jooyoung Lee suggested that there was racism within the gay community, indicated by the relatively weak responses to the disappearances of the brown-skinned men in contrast with the campaign to find Kinsman. In January 2019, he pleaded guilty to murdering eight men between 2010 and 2017. Younger men, who appear to be of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent, show up in several of his vacation and nightlife pictures. They estimated that the inquiry would take 15 months and cost $2.5million. Before it was disabled following his arrest, the Facebook page of Bruce McArthur, who Toronto police now allege is a serial killer,was filled with recipe videos, cat pictures, and photos of his children and grandchildren. [95], On February 8, police announced that they had found the remains of three more people in planters from the Leaside residence, and that one of the six sets of remains belonged to Kinsman,[96] identified through fingerprints. McArthur seems to have encountered money problems in the late '90s, first mortgaging the Oshawa house in 1997 and then declaring bankruptcy in 1999. This area contains a virtually infinite number of places to hide bodies. He interviewed cult leader Charles Manson not long before his death for the 2017 documentary Charles Manson: The Final Words.. If we can find out what is motivating (the killer) we have some reason for it., Random deaths are intolerable to us, Fleming said. [11][21], In court on October 5, 2018, Cantlon said that "negotiations and discussions are ongoing". [112] A team of seven cadaver dogs, some on loan from other GTA police forces, were searching the properties by the second week of May. [212] Homicide investigators only became aware of the alleged incident after McArthur's arrest,[214] when the man came forward again to bring it to their attention. [121] He had last had contact with his family in August 2015, and police believed that he had been killed between September 3 and December 14, 2015. [40] Idsinga said that police knew "something was up" with the disappearances in Project Houston, that they had hunches of a killer operating at Church and Wellesley, but that he could not say it without evidence. Bruce McArthur was charged with first-degree murder in his death. [161][162][163], In January 2018, a publication ban was ordered on court proceedings, limiting what could be reported in the media. [40][62] CBC News examined hundreds of pages of partially redacted court orders unsealed in September 2018, and concluded that there had been "considerable effort" toward investigating all three Project Houston subjects. [40], Police officers surveilling McArthur decided to apprehend him shortly after they saw a young man enter his Thorncliffe Park apartment on January 18, 2018, believing the man's life was at risk. [111] The searches of the Leaside home and McArthur's apartment made up the largest forensic investigation conducted by the TPS. But the search for evidence won't be easy. Under that lovable exterior, however, lurked a paragon of Arendt's "banality of evil.". Also in 2019, the CBC aired Michael Del Monte's documentary film Village of the Missing as an episode of its documentary series CBC Docs POV. Wells' friends say that this resulted in her body being unidentified for months. They have been tasked with digitizing and reviewing thousands of missing persons files dating to 1953, and to act as a central hub to review each active missing persons case. He wrote that the reports were completed and available[219] from the night of the incident,[220] that he had spoken to Project Prism officers regarding it after they had identified McArthur's van, and that there were no complaints then. Bruce McArthur just didn't fit our preconceived notions of what a serial killer should be. Even an exhaustive trial may not have provided an answer, but the search for an explanation after a horrific crime is common, experts say its part of how we cope. [78] Their bodies had not been found, but police said that they had a "pretty good idea" of how they died. After watching him walk into his apartment building with a Middle Eastern man on January 18, 2018, they decided to rush inside - believing the man's life was at risk. [206] One group held a rally outside police headquarters calling for Saunders' resignation. He was actually exiled from the Gay Village in 2003, after he used a metal pipe to assault a man there in 2001. [122] Kanagaratnam was a Tamil asylum-seeker who was under a deportation order[123] and had not been reported missing. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8, pleaded guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder, could not find a single or clear motivating factor behind the attack. It might have been his devout, authoritarian father, his closeted homosexuality or a plethora of other hang-ups. Read Story Transcript. A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Attorney General declined to comment as the matter was still before the courts. Unfortunately, for the eight victims a decade later, that psychologist's prediction was dead wrong. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Kevin Nash says McArthur "came into the picture" of Navaratnam's life in 1999 and that the pair began a romantic relationship that lasted until at least 2008. Detectives had found more disturbing evidence, including images of the eight missing men dressed up - one wearing a fur coat, another with a cigar in his mouth - which police say McArthur had been keeping as trophies. The only surviving documents were the transcripts of the guilty plea and sentencing hearing, the psychiatric report and pre-sentencing report ordered during the trial, and pictures of the victim's injuries and the weapon. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. [39] The investigation was difficult because of the lifestyle of the subjects, who used dating apps and frequently met people who they had never met before. He specifically noted the importance of call uptake and absorbing the circumstances of a reported disappearance. "[222], The circumstances of a disappearance are considered by TPS before committing resources to a search, especially for an adult. Thomas Donald Bruce McArthur, or Bruce McArthur, was born on October 8, 1951, in Lindsay, Ontario, and was raised on a farm in Argyle, near Woodville in the Kawartha Lakes region. Pringle was taking it under advisement, while consulting with the Ontario Attorney-General;[254] a public inquiry can only be ordered by the provincial government. [252][253], When McArthur pleaded guilty to eight murders on January 29, 2019, it removed concerns regarding his fair trial rights. [15] By this time McArthur had become a part of the gay community and was a regular at its bars. [69][70][71][72] This blood was identified as Kinsman's. Bonn said we try to understand why a violent crime was committed in order to make it seem less frightening. [18] Esen was a Turkish citizen who had first come to Canada to be with a partner that he had met in Turkey. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution They took more than 18,000 photographs and collected over 1,800 items. Henderson shared photos of ijs injuries, which . NBC News called him "Canada's 'Gay Village' serial killer," since in the seven years before his arrest, he had murdered at least eight men connected in one way or another to the Church and Wellesley neighborhood, the city's gay enclave. [270] He reports leaving McArthur after feeling increasingly uncomfortable in his company. [80][92][51], Former homicide detective Mark Mendelson said the investigation would become "the largest Toronto has undertaken". Police subsequently charged him in six other cases as they continued to uncover evidence in their investigation. [30] McArthur joined Facebook in 2011 and catalogued his nightlife with pictures of parties, vacations, birthday dinners and concerts. The planters had frozen to the ground, requiring heaters to thaw them. McArthur struck Henderson several times from behind[17] with an iron pipe that he often carried. The officer would not divulge details of his conversations with . Each murder was either premeditated or involved other crimes which qualified them as first-degree: six were "sexual in nature"[182] and five included confinement. The lack of explanation for a violent tragedy is part of the trauma, Lee said. [18], On June 26, 2017, one day after attending Pride Toronto,[52] Andrew Kinsman disappeared from Cabbagetown and was last seen in the area of his residence on Winchester Street. "[204] This was run on the front page of the national newspaper on February 27, 2018, under the headline: "Toronto police chief says civilians failed to help investigation into alleged serial killer". Privately, cops and other experts will tell you on pain of death, that yeah, in all probability there are other victims of Bruce McArthur. Retired Ontario Court of Appeal justice Gloria Epstein wrote there were serious flaws in how the disappearances, including the McArthur case, were handled by police. [271], In 2022, British journalist Mobeen Azhar presented a six-part true-crime series on McArthur titled Santa Claus the Serial Killer, broadcast on BBC Three. [65] In October, further orders were granted for information from Yahoo!, Air Canada, additional banks and Pink Triangle Press, an LGBT publisher. A petition started that month called for the resignation of the 519's executive director, alleging prejudice against transgender and homeless people. What we know about the life of accused serial killer Bruce McArthur | CBC News Loaded. Are the unknown victims of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur hidden among these 22 cold cases? In the end, the man behind all the murders was Bruce McArthur. [151] A colleague said that he had been working overtime to ensure that his two daughters got everything that they wanted for Christmas. [51] The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS) and the Centre of Forensic Sciences (CFS) were aiding with the searches of McArthur's apartment and the Leaside property. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. (Rene Johnston/Toronto Star/Getty Images) In 2019, McArthur pleaded guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder. [142][143], Five victims were noted by investigators for similarities: middle-aged, bearded, patrons of The Black Eagle bar, and self-identified as "bears" (gay men with overtly masculine traits). More than a year later he came out of the closet to his wife but they continued living together. David Dickinson was asked Friday about Bruce McArthur's motive for murdering eight men. That day, surveillance video outside Kinsman's residence showed a person matching his appearance approach a red vehicle. The high-profile investigation and media coverage have drawn controversies, including accusations of indifference by the Toronto police towards the LGBTQ, racialized and homeless persons. He even got a holiday gig working as a mall Santa, since he was pretty much perfect for the part: white skin, white hair, white beard, a big, bouncy potbelly, and a jolly attitude. [16][8], McArthur, who turned himself in after the attack, said he did not remember the incident or why he might have done it. He was also credited for sparing family and friends of the victims a lengthy trial by pleading guilty. Towards the end of 2013, Khan inquired when McArthur came in alone instead of with his usual companion. Kevin Bryan, a former detective with York Regional Police's forensics unit, considered the amount of evidence to be catalogued and disclosed, and believed a trial was "years away".

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