Photo: Facebook
Toronto, Canada has been rocked by the shocking story of an alleged serial killer. Police have accused landscaper Bruce McArthur of killing and burying his victims on his clients’ properties.
Toronto authorities are investigating landscaper Bruce McArthur in connection to multiple murders. He has been accused of killing at least five people, but the police believe there might be more victims. As the police continue to investigate, McArthur’s alleged victim count is rising. Here’s an update on Toronto’s serial killer and a list of his victims.
A Timeline of Key Events
2001 – Bruce McArthur was convicted of assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm for attacking a man with a pipe. He was barred from an area of downtown Toronto that included the Gay Village. His conditional sentence prohibited him from spending time with “male prostitutes.”
November 2012 – Police launch Project Houston, an investigation into the disappearances of three gay men from the Gay Village.
April 2014 – The investigation is closed due to lack of any findings to identify a suspect.
August 2017 – Police launch Project Prism, an investigation into the disappearances of Selim Esen and Andrew Kinsman.
September 2017 – Investigators identify Bruce McArthur, 66, as a suspect in Kinsman’s disappearance.
December 8, 2017 – Police look into missing person investigations. They deny the presence of a serial killer in Toronto.
January 17 – Police uncover evidence suspecting McArthur.
January 18 – McArthur was arrested in connection to the deaths of Esen and Kinsman and charged with first-degree murder. Both victims went missing from Toronto’s Gay Village in 2017. The circumstances of their disappearance are unexplained.
January 19 – McArthur appears in court.
January 29 – The charges pile on. He is charged with three more counts of murder in connection to the deaths of Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, and Dean Lisowick.
January 30 – Reports reveal that cops rescued a man tied to McArthur’s bed after which they arrested the landscaper.
Police scour over 30 properties McArthur worked on. They confirm human remains were discovered in planters at homes of McArthur’s clients.
February 8 – Police confirm that the remains of six people have been identified. One of the remains is of Andrew Kinsman.
Authorities believe there are more victims. They will re-examine hundreds of missing person cases and look into properties McArthur worked on.
Investigators are using archaeological tools and ground penetrating radar to excavate a property. 15 flower planters have been recovered but not searched yet.
Forensic anthropologists are working with investigators to identify the remains that were found. The cause of death is yet to be determined.
List of Identified Victims
McArthur has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder. He is being held in connection to at least six disappearances. Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga said that the latest discoveries could increase the count to at least 10.
Investigators will work backwards, combing through missing person cases to look for any connections to McArthur. The city’s gay community has been urging authorities for years to look into disappearances, fearing they might be related.
The following are the men who went missing from Gay Village and are possibly connected to McArthur’s spree-killing.
1. Skandaraj “Skanda” Navaratnam
Age: 40
Last seen: September 6, 2010
Reports say he was last seen leaving a popular gay bar in the Church and Carlton Sts. Area with an unknown man. According to Navaratnam’s friend, he was romantically involved with McArthur since 2000.
2. Abdulbasir “Basir” Faizi
Last seen: December 29, 2010
He was last seen in the same area as Navaratnam. His car was found abandoned on Moore Ave. He had told his wife he’s going drinking with coworkers. Instead, he spent his evening at a men-only bathhouse. He has two daughters.
3. Majeed “Hamid” Kayhan
Age: 59
Last seen: October 14, 2012
Photo: TorontoPolice
He was a regular at the bars of Gay Village. His son reported him missing after a week of no contact with him.
4. Selim Esen
Age: 44
Last seen: April 14, 2017
Photo: TorontoPolice
He was last seen in the Yonge and Bloor area. He frequented the Ted Rogers Way area.
5. Andrew Kinsman
Age: 49
Last seen: June 26, 2017
Photo: Toronto Police
His last known location was 71 Winchester St. In August 2017, police launch Project Prism to investigate the case of Kinsman and Esen. Among the remains found in planters, police have positively identified one of the victims as Kinsman.
6. Soroush Mahmudi
Age: 50
Photo: TorontoPolice
Reported missing from Scarborough by his family in 2015.
7. Dean Lisowick
Photo: TorontoPolice
A resident of the Toronto’s shelter system, he was not reported missing. He was a well-known fixture in the Gay Village. Police say he was killed by McArthur in 2016 or 2017.
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