Police have laid first-degree murder charges against Bruce McArthur, 66, in connection to the deaths of eight men, most of whom were known to frequent Toronto’s Gay Village.
Police discovered the remains of many individuals this year in large planters, at a home where McArthur had worked as a landscape gardener.
The victim’s have been identified as:
1 – Andrew Kinsman, 49 who went missing from Toronto’s Cabbagetown neighborhood in June 2017.
2 – Selim Esen, 44, was last seen on April 14, 2017, close to his apartment building near Bloor Street East and Jarvis Street.
3 – Dean Lisowick, 47, was never reported missing and Police believe Lisowick who was homeless, was killed in 2016 or 2017.
4 – Soroush Mahmudi, 50, was reported missing by his family in August 2015.
5 – Majeed Kayhan, 59, his adult son reported him missing to police on Oct. 25, 2012.
6 – Skandaraj Navaratnam, 40, was last seen leaving a Toronto nightclub on Sept. 6, 2010.
7 – Abdulbasir Faizi, 42, reported missing on Wednesday December 29th, 2010
8 – Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, police believe he was killed between early September and mid-December 2015.
Toronto Police are reviewing 15 cold case files, from 1975 to 1997. Police hope to begin searching 75 properties where McArthur was believed to have worked, with their K9 units, in May.
Update July 20th
After a nine day search of the Mallory Crescent property police are now able to confirm that the remains of Majeed Kayhan have been located.
Investigators will continue to work with the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service to identify all of the remains found, but say there is no evidence to indicate there are victims other than the eight listed above.
Update Justice John McMahon has sentenced Bruce McArthur, 67, to a mandatory life sentence and parole ineligibility of 25 years. He’ll be able to apply when he’s 91.