[75][59], In a December 8 news conference, Project Prism investigators said they had completed 62 witness interviews, 28 judicial authorizations and assigned 308 actions of which 225 had been completed. 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. They knew they had to act when they saw another man arrive at his apartment. He was one of 492 Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka who had arrived in Canada on the MV Sun Sea in August 2010. Lee details the repressed shame McArthur would have felt given his upbringing, along with anger and resentment he would have felt toward himself, his family and the gay community by being attracted to men. [151] A colleague said that he had been working overtime to ensure that his two daughters got everything that they wanted for Christmas. [65][66] McArthur was named in a September 8 request to place a judicial seal on the warrants, and a later request to seal warrants issued from September to November noted "the investigation into Bruce McArthur. He was trying to work more, as a cleaner or labourer,[158] having previously worked as a prostitute. [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. Cops dont always get every confession.. There were more than 6,000 similar models in Toronto,[30] but only five were registered to someone named Bruce; of those the only 2004 model belonged to McArthur. Image Credit: Bruce McArthur/Facebook/Toronto Star. [107] The search concluded on May 11, having occupied ten forensic officers for nearly four months. (Rene Johnston/Toronto Star/Getty Images) In 2019, McArthur pleaded guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder. He was quoted as saying, "We knew that people were missing and we knew we didn't have the right answers. Like a lot of his ilk, McArthur probably suffered a traumatic event in his childhood. 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. [186] The bar was found in McArthur's 2017 van and contained the DNA of Kinsman and Esen. Majeed "Hamid" Kayhan, 58, was last seen on October 18, 2012, in the gay village[151][153] near Yonge Street and Alexander Street. [21] The victim, said by the Crown to have been traumatized by the incident, did not provide a victim-impact statement for the sentencing, and there were concerns that McArthur's unexplained behaviour may have been due to the combination of his anti-seizure medication with amyl nitrite,[a] a muscle relaxant which is sometimes taken recreationally before sex. [80] Beginning on January 19, heaters in a large tent[90] were used to gradually thaw the frozen ground in the backyard of the Leaside residence[101][102] at a location indicated by both cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar. [57] Safety hotlines were also set up for those reluctant to speak to police. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. But criminologists and sociologists have been studying the motivations for violence for millennia and we still dont really have a foolproof answer.. [230][231] The statement cited community feelings that investigations were "insufficient" and that concerns were "dismissed". [110] It took them several weeks before searching McArthur's bedroom, where they expected to find the bulk of their evidence. Police suspect there are other victims. A new Canadian true-crime documentary about notorious serial killer Bruce McArthur is the first super deep dive broadcast about the murders of eight men in Torontos gay village, says showrunner and co-executive producer James Buddy Day. Accused serial killer Bruce McArthur was a mall Santa Claus. [39] They said that they had no evidence to link the disappearances. Det. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto [106], Rosemond noted at a February 14, 2018, hearing that it was McArthur's third court appearance without disclosure. Hank Idsinga and Toronto Star crime reporter Wendy Gillis, who has covered the case extensively since 2018. [257], Another controversial photo was that of a dead man which police released in hopes that the public could help identify him. Landscaper Bruce McArthur, 67, was first arrested last . Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star A sense of unease pervaded the Village, according to "Catching A Serial Killer: Bruce McArthur," a new special on Oxygen. [11][21], In court on October 5, 2018, Cantlon said that "negotiations and discussions are ongoing". 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. His clients were none the wiser. They estimated that the inquiry would take 15 months and cost $2.5million. McArthur was a necrophile, meaning he performed sexual acts on his victims after killing them. His research team developed an algorithm to perform cluster analysis on 800,000 American murders catalogued by the Murder Accountability Project, which has led to arrests in Cleveland and Chicago. [164] Torstar reported on March 19, 2018, that McArthur was being held "in segregation and under constant suicide watch". Bruce McArthur, 67, was arrested last January and charged in the deaths of two men. [55] It was also noted to be unlike Kinsman to go anywhere without notifying friends or family. Bruce McArthur was charged with first-degree murder in his death. [23], A source told CTV News that photographs of the alleged victims found at McArthur's residence led to the charges. On Jan. 18, Bruce McArthur, 66, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killings of 44-year-old Selim Esen and 49-year-old Andrew Kinsman, two gay men who disappeared last year. [257], Editor Kathy English said that the Toronto Star would continue to publish Facebook photos of McArthur as a journalistic duty to report reality. [15], McArthur separated from his wife in 1997[8] and moved to Toronto, as there was no gay community in Oshawa at that time. That conflict remained with Faizi, who was not out to his family. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [15] By this time McArthur had become a part of the gay community and was a regular at its bars. He was not reported missing. He explores how McArthur fits the profile of many serial killers; skilled at deception, opportunists who enjoy having control while preying on marginalized victims. But after Andrew Kinsman went missing in June 2017, police finally began to pay attention. [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. Toronto alleged serial killer case draws parallels to Robert Pickton, 'To know that it's this close to home it's kind of out of Stephen King', With multiple victims and no bodies, police are in 'uncharted territory' in McArthur case, says criminologist, Man missing since 2010 was romantically involved with accused killer Bruce McArthur, says friend. . Please try again. Serial killer Bruce McArthurs victims are shown in these Toronto Police Service handout photos. [19] He called 9-1-1 when he awoke and was taken to St. Michael's Hospital. [160] TPS spokesperson Meaghan Gray noted that while there were theories connecting the disappearances, there had been no evidence at that time. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. McArthur said his boyfriend was on vacation, and when Khan noted he had seen the man the previous day, McArthur angrily left and never returned. Photo by Facebook. [170], A judicial pre-trial was scheduled for June 20, 2018. They had also disappeared over holiday weekends: Navaratnam at Labour Day, Faizi after Christmas, Kayhan during Thanksgiving, Esen on Easter, and Kinsman after Toronto Pride. [39][44][45][46] An anonymous tip linking McArthur to Navaratnam and Kayhan led police to interview him[47] on November 11, 2013. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. [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. He described the ongoing case as unprecedented, with hundreds of officers involved and thirty properties to be searched. [68], On October 3, plainclothes police officers arrived at Dom's Auto Parts in Courtice, Ontario, 70 kilometres (43mi) northeast of Toronto. [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. [161][162][163], In January 2018, a publication ban was ordered on court proceedings, limiting what could be reported in the media. The answers were there, of course, but only in their most superficial form. Kinsman's disappearance was central to the creation of Project Prism because of a lead obtained at the end of July. If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, unlimited online access is. It means any of us could die. [23][57] Greg Downer, a friend and colleague of Kinsman's who set up Facebook groups dedicated to finding him and other missing men, organized an August 1 community safety meeting in which police gave an overview of the task force and thanked the community for "the abundance of information" that they had received. McArthur can apply for parole when he is 91,[2] but McMahon said that it would be "highly unlikely" he would be granted parole. [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. Wells' friends say that this resulted in her body being unidentified for months. [29] Police also obtained a log of McArthur's key fob for his apartment. 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 was born on October 8, 1951, in Lindsay, Ontario, and grew up on a farm in the Kawartha Lakes region. When Bruce left Janice in 1998 or 1999, under amicable circumstances, he moved to Toronto to begin his new life as an out gay man. By 1986, a 35-year-old McArthur was married, with records showing that he and his wife Janice purchased a roomy brick home on a suburban street in Oshawa. [62], A police source told the National Post that McArthur had covered his tracks, using aliases online, using payphones instead of cellphones and avoiding areas with surveillance cameras. In January 2019, he pleaded guilty to murdering eight men between 2010 and 2017. He first landed on the police's radar in June 2016, after a man called 911 to report him for attacking and trying to strangle him during a sexual encounter. And that may have sent Bruce McArthur on his murderous odyssey of death. [48], McArthur's sentencing hearing began on February 4, 2019. 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. [116] By mid-July, forensic testing related to the cold cases was underway. The National Post notes the irony in the pet peeve his future wife listed in their high school yearbook: "someone who can't decide what they want." McArthur's childhood was spent in Woodville, Ontario, a small rural town northeast of Toronto. She noticed a pattern and concluded that a serial killer was operating in Toronto. He was sentenced to life in . To get answers, producers talked to cops, friends, criminologists and others for the two-hour program. According to the BBC, authorities had found the word "Bruce" on Kinsman's calendar the day he disappeared in June the year before. As McArthur's lust intensified a number of men began disappearing from the rainbow community. [232] Saunders had hoped that participation would demonstrate a "shared commitment to progress and healing", and considered the many TPS members who identify as LGBTQ and wished to march in the event built on inclusiveness. Gruesome details of the 67-year-old's killings have been revealed in court on the first day of his sentencing. But nobody was coming to us with anything. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. 2023 Toronto Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. "[222], The circumstances of a disappearance are considered by TPS before committing resources to a search, especially for an adult. [211][212] Sources then vary, with McArthur following the man to a police station[211] or driving to a Scarborough police station while the man phoned police. He took staged post-mortem photographs, typically with ropes around their necks or with them nude in a fur coat or hat; some photographs had them with their heads and beards shaved, with McArthur having kept their hair[188][27] in Ziploc bags in a shed at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. David Dickinson was asked Friday about Bruce McArthur's motive for murdering eight men. Towards the end of 2013, Khan inquired when McArthur came in alone instead of with his usual companion. [203] In 2017, Reid theorized that the killer was a person of colour like the victims, later stating this was because serial killers tend to target familiar communities. [196] Reid noted that the term serial killer was problematic as it is defined and used differently by various organizations, legal jurisdictions, researchers and the media. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. [28] McArthur made a GHB cocktail for the man, who requested a dosage to relax and "heighten the sexual encounter". McArthur and his sibling were raised together by their parents who also took in troubled foster children from Toronto. When the police came to McArthur's door, the serial killer's potential next victim was handcuffed to the bed with a black bag without holes to see or breathe pulled over his head. [220] On August 23, 2021, Gauthier was found not guilty on charges of insubordination and neglect of duty. The victim called 9-1-1 after he escaped while McArthur went to the police and said the incident was consensual. 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. Thomas Donald Bruce McArthur,[6] or Bruce McArthur, was born on October 8, 1951,[7] in Lindsay, Ontario, and was raised on a farm in Argyle,[8] near Woodville in the Kawartha Lakes region. [206] One group held a rally outside police headquarters calling for Saunders' resignation. [39] A friend who last saw him said that Kinsman was "happy and upbeat". He developed a fetish for rough sex and joined a gay fetish dating website for men into BDSM. A memorial for Kinsman was held in September, and Mahmudi and Esen's funerals were held in mid-October. Idsinga said he was particularly interested in excavating at three properties. the police involved in the investigation declined to speak about the killer's motive. For most people (when they come out)] its a tremendous sense of relief, Lee said. [35], McArthur had become a self-employed landscaper, operating under the name Artistic Designs. [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. cop faces internal charge over 2016 incident involving serial killer Bruce McArthur", "Toronto cop tells colleagues he's 'scapegoat' in Bruce McArthur probe", "Police officer who released serial killer Bruce McArthur in 2016 cleared of disciplinary charges", "Angry relative accuses police services of failing to follow up on multiple reports of missing man in Toronto", "Time 'not on the side' of police in Tess Richey case, former homicide detective says", "Toronto Police Association launches website warning of a 'staffing crisis', "Chief Saunders acknowledges 'morale issue' in Toronto police force", "No evidence of a serial killer in Church-Wellesley but there are opportunities to 'learn,' police say", "The 519: A Toronto community centre in the crossfire", "Councillor calls arrest in disappearance of men validating to community", "Mayor John Tory calls for independent review of Bruce McArthur investigation", "Toronto police-LGBTQ community relations reach breaking point over murders", "Organizers don't want Toronto police at Pride parade, amid anger over Bruce McArthur investigation", "Police probe unsolved 1970s gay murder cases over possible link to alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur", "Donations help fund Toronto funeral service for Alloura Wells", "After Bruce McArthur's arrest and criticism over missing persons cases, Toronto police moved to 'step up our game', "Toronto police create first-ever missing persons unit in wake of McArthur investigation", "South Asian LGBTQ group starts safe date program after Village murders", "External, public review of missing persons a must: Chief Saund ers", "Mayor Tory confirms police board, not chief, will initiate missing-persons review", "Don't delay inquiry into police dealings with Bruce McArthur, LGBTQ group urges", "LGBTQ community calls for immediate public inquiry into missing persons", "Toronto's LGBTQ community calling for independent inquiry into missing persons, murder cases", "Decision to exclude McArthur homicide probe from missing persons review raises questions", "Toronto Police Services Board names working group for missing persons review", "Police board wants $25K budget boost to support external review of missing persons cases", "Review cases of alleged McArthur victims, working group tells Toronto police board", "Working group to probe police's mishandling of Village murders takes cautious first steps", "Toronto police board approves $3-million review of handling of missing persons probes in wake of McArthur case", "Justice Gloria J. Epstein to head review of Toronto police missing persons investigations", "Toronto police board retains judge to lead review into missing persons cases", "Judge named to head review of Toronto police handling of missing person cases", "Activists, lawyers leading Toronto missing persons panel launched amid Bruce McArthur probe", "Ex-judge unveils panel tapped to review Toronto police missing persons probes", "Head of missing-persons review seeks mandate to examine Bruce McArthur case", "Justice looks to have missing persons inquiry expanded to include McArthur", "Head of missing persons review asks permission to probe Toronto police's McArthur investigation", "Why you've seen accused serial killer Bruce McArthur's travel photos but not his mug shot", "Why the Toronto Star is not using a mugshot of accused serial killer Bruce McArthur", "Has Toronto's serial killer been murdering gay men since the 70's?