Alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur appears in court Wednesday
Posted February 14, 2018 4:00 am.
Last Updated February 14, 2018 12:07 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur made a brief appearance in a Toronto court by video on Wednesday morning.
Wearing an orange prison jump suit, McArthur said his name out loud when asked by the judge, before being remanded back into custody.
He will make another appearance via video on Feb. 28.
McArthur is facing five first-degree murder charges related to the disappearances of men who are all believed to have had ties to the LGBTQ community.
Investigators have said they expect to lay more charges against the 66-year-old in the coming days.
Police say they’ve recovered the dismembered remains of six individuals from large planters at a home on Mallory Crescent where McArthur rented storage space and worked as a landscaper.
Toronto police have so far only identified one of the sets of remains — those of Andrew Kinsman.
On Tuesday, police wrapped up the excavation of the backyard where the remains were found and announced that they had not found any more. But the investigation continued in front of the home. Heavy construction equipment was brought in to dig up the main drain connected to the home. A portion of the drain system was removed on Wednesday and sent for testing.
Last month, McArthur was charged with 49-year-old Kinsman’s death, as well as the presumed death of 44-year-old Selim Esen. Both men went missing from Toronto’s gay village in 2017.
Police laid three more first-degree murder charges against McArthur about two weeks later, related to the disappearances of Majeed Kayhan, 58, and Soroush Mahmudi, 50, as well as the death of Dean Lisowick, either 43 or 44, who had never been reported missing.
Det.-Sgt. Hank Idsinga said Tuesday that the investigation will concentrate on evidence gathered so far before focusing on the 30 other properties identified as places of interest.
Related stories:
No more human remains found at Leaside home in McArthur case
Police find remains of 6 people, including Andrew Kinsman, in McArthur case
Bruce McArthur now facing 5 first-degree murder charges
Why haven’t police released a mug shot of Bruce McArthur?
How did Bruce McArthur become a mall Santa?
