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Alleged Serial Killer Nicknamed ‘Santa’ Possibly Linked To Even More Bodies, Police Say
More human remains have been found on a property where suspect Bruce McArthur worked as a landscaper.
Police have found more even more human remains they believe could be victims of an alleged serial killer who went by the nickname "Santa."
Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga told the Canadian Press that human remains were found in the ravine of a property where Bruce McArthur, 66, worked as a landscaper. The remains, which were discovered Wednesday, have been sent for testing.
"We haven't identified what the remains are or who they belonged to," Idsinga said. Because cadaver dogs pointed to several other spots on the property, police are expected to continue searching for at least a few more weeks.
Police discovered the remains of seven men in large planters at the same home, located in the Toronto neighborhood of Leaside, in January, the Canadian Press reported. Those seven victims have been identified as Andrew Kinsman, Soroush Mahmudi, Skandaraj Navaratnam, Selim Esen, Dean Lisowick, Abdulbasir Faizi and Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam.
McArthur is also accused of killing Majeed Kayhan, who fled to Canada from Afghanistan and went missing in 2012. His body was never found. Most of the victims had ties to the LGBTQ community, according to CTV News in Toronto.
The Globe and Mail reported that McArthur, who is gay, didn’t acknowledge his sexual orientation until he was in his forties. A psychological report, written after McArthur pleaded guilty to assaulting a gay sex worker in 2001 with a metal pipe, theorized that he may have had “underlying resentments,” because of his repressed identity. However, that same report claimed he was a low-risk for engaging in future violence.
McArthur was arrested on January 18 and has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of eight men. Police have searched about 100 other properties with links to McArthur's landscaping business. His apartment was searched in May and police said they obtained 1,800 pieces of evidence and over 18,000 photographs in the search of his home, CTV News reported.
In addition to working as a landscaper, he dressed up as Santa for seasonal employment in a mall, according to Vanity Fair. "Santa" was one of his nicknames.
McArthur is due back in court on July 23. His mugshot has yet to be released.
[Toronto Police Service]
