Bruce McArthur- Between 2010 and 2017, a total of eight men disappeared from the neighbourhood of Church and Wellesley, the gay enclave of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The investigation into the disappearances, taken up by two successive police task forces, eventually led to Bruce McArthur, a 66-year-old self-employed Toronto landscaper, whom they arrested on January 18, 2018. On January 29, 2019, he pleaded guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder in Ontario Superior Court and was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment with no eligibility for parole for twenty-five years.
McArthur is the most prolific known serial killer to have been active in Toronto, and the oldest known serial killer in Canada.
A young McArthur attended a one-room schoolhouse outside Woodville. A classmate recalled him trying to be the teacher's pet and informing of mischief by the other boys, with whom he did not fit in. He was also known for winning singing contests. McArthur's mother was Irish Catholic and his father a Scottish Presbyterian; both were devout, causing arguments in which McArthur supported his mother. This led to derision from his strict father, who McArthur later felt may have sensed his homosexuality. McArthur had trouble accepting his sexual orientation, which would have been seen as abnormal in rural Ontario at that time.
McArthur was bussed to nearby Fenelon Falls Secondary School for his secondary education, where he met and began dating Janice Campbell, both graduating in 1970. McArthur later graduated from a program in general business and married Campbell when he was aged 23.
In 1979, McArthur and his wife moved into a house on Ormond Drive in Oshawa; by 1981 they had a daughter, Melanie, and a son, Todd. In 1986, the McArthurs bought a home on Cartref Avenue in Oshawa. He became very active in his church, keeping himself busy to avoid examining his homosexual feelings. McArthur began having sexual affairs with men in the early 1990s. More than a year later he came out of the closet to his wife but they continued living together. Sometime after 1993, McArthur's employment in the clothing trade came to an end and the couple faced financial difficulty, in part due to legal issues connected to their then-teenaged son, Todd, who was obsessively making obscene phone calls to women he did not know. The couple mortgaged their home in 1997 and declared bankruptcy in 1999.
McArthur separated from his wife in 1997 and moved to Toronto, as there was no gay community in Oshawa at that time. He frequented the bars of Church and Wellesley, Toronto's gay village, and moved into an apartment on Don Mills Road while pursuing a four-year relationship with another man. When they broke up and his divorce was being finalized, McArthur saw a psychiatrist and was prescribed Prozac for several months. At about this time he was attempting to gain work as a landscaper.
Just after noon on October 31, 2001, a few weeks after his 50th birthday, McArthur followed actor and model Mark Henderson into his apartment building after being invited into Henderson's apartment to see his Halloween costume. McArthur struck Henderson several times from behind with an iron pipe that he often carried. Henderson fought back before losing consciousness. He called 9-1-1 when he awoke and was taken to St. Michael's Hospital. He had suffered injuries to his head and body and needed several stitches on the back of his head and his fingers as well as six weeks of physiotherapy.
McArthur, who turned himself in after the attack, said he did not remember the incident or why he might have done it. He pleaded guilty to charges of assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm, and on April 11, 2003, received a conditional sentence of 729 days (two years less a day). A further charge of carrying a concealed weapon was withdrawn at the time. The Crown Attorney had earlier believed jail time was warranted but agreed to a conditional sentence after psychiatric and presentencing reports suggested McArthur was a low risk to reoffend. 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 muscle relaxant which is sometimes taken recreationally before sex.
McArthur's 2003 banishment from Church and Wellesley remained well known and he had developed a reputation for BDSM and rough sex. In 2011, he told an acquaintance named Robert James about an incident in which he had been asked to leave a coffeehouse, which caused McArthur to knock all of the glasses off the counter in a rage. James decided to heed advice to stay away from McArthur, explaining that he had heard disturbing stories about him. According to James, McArthur turned red and screamed about "f---ing f---ots telling stories about me!" and, "You're just like the rest of them, you think I'm crazy." A. J. Khan, a Toronto restaurant owner, remembered McArthur as a friendly regular. Towards the end of 2013, Khan inquired when McArthur came in alone instead of with his usual companion. 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.
McArthur had become a self-employed landscaper, operating under the name Artistic Designs. A colleague who installed water features on three of McArthur's projects described him as more of a gardener, operating out of a little van with old tools. He said that McArthur was always accompanied by an older white man, who appeared to be romantically involved with him, and a day labourer, usually of Southeast Asian or Middle Eastern descent. Most of McArthur's clients were wealthy elderly women who found him charming, and he had built a client base through personal recommendations. During the off-season, McArthur portrayed Santa Claus at Agincourt Mall and made floral gifts for charities. How was a man convicted of assault able to work in close proximity to children? A question many are asking after learning that alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur worked as Santa at Agincourt Mall. A vulnerable sector screening is used when hiring teachers, coaches, daycare workers, nurses, those involved in elder care and other similar positions. But children’s entertainers aren’t legally required to get such a check as a condition of employment since the business isn’t regulated in Toronto.
The criminal investigation of McArthur became the largest ever conducted by the Toronto Police Service and also called on the resources of the Ontario Provincial Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other police and forensic services. Criticisms of the TPS's handling of the initial missing persons investigations have led to several internal reviews, an external review called by the civilian Toronto Police Services Board and the formation of a dedicated missing persons unit. 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.
A source told CTV News that the police officers found the young man restrained on a bed when they entered McArthur's apartment. The man was shaken but not injured. Referred to in court as "John", the man had arrived in Canada from the Middle East five years earlier, was married and had not told his family that he was gay. He had met McArthur through dating app Growlr, and said that they had met for sex several times. He had agreed to keep his relationship with McArthur secret, and let himself be handcuffed to McArthur's steel bedframe. McArthur put a black bag over his head and tried to tape his mouth shut before police officers interrupted him. A source told CTV News that photographs of the alleged victims found at McArthur's residence led to the charges. The Toronto Sun reported that McArthur's computer had grisly photos of his suspected victims kept as trophies. McArthur was detained at the Toronto South Detention Centre. Torstar News Service reported on March 19, 2018, that McArthur was being held "in segregation and under constant suicide watch". As of November 5, 2018, McArthur remained held at the Toronto South Detention Centre.
McArthur’s 2004 Dodge Caravan after police located it at a wrecking yard in Courice, Ont. Police detected blood and other bodily fluids inside the van that matched the DNA profiles of several of McArthur’s victims. (Photo provided by the Crown)
The interior of McArthur’s 2004 Dodge Caravan after police located it at a wrecking yard in Courice, Ont. Police detected blood and other bodily fluids inside the van that matched the DNA profiles of several of McArthur’s victims.
The interior of McArthur’s 2004 Dodge Caravan after police located it at a wrecking yard in Courice, Ont. Police detected blood and other bodily fluids inside the van that matched the DNA profiles of several of McArthur’s victims.
A photograph of Andrew Kinsman, who disappeared on Jun. 28, 2017, found on McArthur’s computer. McArthur had over 100 photographs of Kinsman, some dating back to 2007, on the hard drive. He also had 18 photos of Kinsman taken after the man’s murder.
A photograph of Andrew Kinsman, who disappeared on Jun. 28, 2017, found on McArthur’s computer. McArthur had over 100 photographs of Kinsman, some dating back to 2007, on the hard drive. He also had 18 photos of Kinsman taken after the man’s murder. McArthur had attempted to delete all of these photos, but forensic investigators were able to find them anyway.
A tape-wrapped bar located in McArthur’s 2017 van, purchased to replace the 2004 Dodge Caravan he left at a wrecking yard in 2017. McArthur used the bar by twisting it to tighten rope around his victims’ necks, strangling them.
The tape-wrapped bar as found under a seat in McArthur’s 2017 van.
A drawer in McArthur’s apartment containing the tape-wrapped bar, rope and duct tape. The photo was taken when police covertly entered McArthur’s apartment in Dec. 7, 2017.
One of 31 photos of Skandaraj Navaratnam, who disappeared on Sept. 6, 2010, that police extracted from one of McArthur’s hard drives.
One of 31 photos of Skandaraj Navaratnam, who disappeared on Sept. 6, 2010, that police extracted from one of McArthur’s hard drives.
An image of a missing person poster for Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi and Majeed Kayhan found on McArthur’s computer, among other images of his victims.
A bracelet on which the name “Skanda” is engraved, found by police in McArthur’s bedroom. The bracelet, linked to Skandaraj Navaratnam by DNA, was one of several mementos McArthur kept from his victims after he murdered them.
Dark brown leather lacing found by police in the centre console of McArthur’s 2017 van. Forensic investigators found DNA most likely belonging to McArthur and Navaratnam on the lacing, and it is believed to be another memento McArthur kept from Navaratnam after murdering him.
Dark brown leather lacing found by police in the centre console of McArthur’s 2017 van. Forensic investigators found DNA most likely belonging to McArthur and Navaratnam on the lacing, and it is believed to be another memento McArthur kept from Navaratnam after murdering him.
A photograph of Majeed Kayhan, who disappeared on Oct. 18, 2012, found on one of McArthur’s hard drives.
A fur coat in a hidden compartment of McArthur’s 2017 Dodge Caravan at the time of his arrest. During the course of their investigation, police found photos of most of McArthur’s victims posed, lifeless and naked, either wearing or laying on top of the coat. Forensic analysis revealed blood and other bodily fluids on the coat, linking it to several of McArthur’s victims.
The fur-lined hat police found in McArthur’s 2017 Dodge Caravan, matching the hat worn by several of McArthur’s victims in staged photos he took of them in the course of murdering them.
The fur-lined hat police found in McArthur’s 2017 Dodge Caravan, matching the hat worn by several of McArthur’s victims in staged photos he took of them in the course of murdering them. In this photo, the hat is stuffed into the centre console of the van.
Ziplock bags of hair stored by McArthur in the shed of a home south of Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. After police located the bags, the homeowners confirmed that the hair did not belong to them. Police also know that McArthur shaved many of his victims’ heads and beards before burying them on another property at 53 Mallory Cres.
One of five large planter pots at 53 Mallory Cres. that contained the remains of seven of the men McArthur murdered.
Photographs of the ravine behind 53 Mallory Cres. where investigators found an eighth set of remains, belonging to Majeed Kayhan, who disappeared on Oct. 18, 2012.
Photographs of the ravine behind 53 Mallory Cres. where investigators found an eighth set of remains, belonging to Majeed Kayhan, who disappeared on Oct. 18, 2012.
A notebook belonging to Selim Esen that police found in McArthur’s bedroom. Esen disappeared around Apr. 16, 2017.
A necklace belonging to Dean Lisowick that police found in McArthur’s bedroom. Photos McArthur took of Lisowick at the time of his death show him wearing the same necklace. Lisowick disappeared around Apr. 23, 2016.
Police found this black duffel bag containing duct tape, a surgical glove, rope, zip ties, a black bungee cord and syringes in McArthur’s bedroom.
Toronto police released a picture of an unidentified deceased man believed to be another victim of “alleged serial killer” Bruce McArthur while announcing Monday that a seventh set of dismembered remains has been found at a home where he did landscaping work.
Investigators say McArthur is believed to have met his victims in Toronto's Gay Village neighborhood and on gay dating apps for older and large men with names such as "SilverDaddies" and "Bear411."
Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, is the deceased man who appeared in a photograph released by Toronto police.
On June 26, 2017, one day after attending Pride Toronto, Andrew Kinsman disappeared from Cabbagetown and was last seen in the area of his residence on Winchester Street. On the evening of June 28, learning that no one had seen Kinsman in a couple of days, Ted Healey and other friends gained access to his apartment.
They found no sign of disturbance, though his 17-year-old cat was out of food and water. They reported Kinsman's disappearance to police the following day. Kinsman, who was openly gay and had deep roots in the community, was regarded as a stable and responsible man whose friends felt would not suddenly leave, and certainly not without his cat or his prescription medicine. It was also noted to be unlike Kinsman to go anywhere without notifying friends or family. Kinsman was active on social media but investigators found his cell phone was turned off the day he disappeared.
At the end of July 2017, the TPS created a new task force, Project Prism, to investigate the disappearances of Kinsman and another man, Selim Esen, and to look for any links with the unsolved disappearances investigated under Project Houston. 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. Queer refugees, transgender and two-spirit people spoke of their vulnerabilities, experiencing disproportionate violence within the LGBTQ community. Downer's group, the Missing Rainbow Community, provided strategies for staying safe when meeting people from dating apps.
Realizing the difficulty police faced with judicial authorizations for data from servers located outside Canada, which caused delays in the crucial early days of the missing persons investigations, Downer appealed to dating apps to provide an option for users to consent to have their data released to police if they went missing. Safety hotlines were also set up for those reluctant to speak to police.
Fears of a serial killer stalking Church and Wellesley grew on November 29 when the body of Tess Richey was found by her mother in an alleyway four days after she was reported missing. The following day police announced that the body of Alloura Wells, a homeless transgender woman, had been identified, her body having been discovered in a Rosedale ravine in August. Because of fears in the community, TPS Chief Mark Saunders held an unprecedented December 8 news conference on the three separate investigations into the deaths of Richey and Wells and the disappearances of Kinsman and Esen. Although the cases occurred in close proximity, police did not believe they were related and Saunders said they had no evidence of a serial killer.
Victims
MAJEED KAYHAN- The 58-year-old Toronto man was killed on or about Oct. 18, 2012. Police investigated his death as part of Project Houston, which ran from November 2012 to April 2014 and probed the disappearances of three men who went missing from Toronto's gay village. The probe was closed after yielding neither suspects nor leads on what happened to the men. Kayhan's death was sexual in nature.
SOROUSH MAHMUDI- The 50-year-old was killed on or about Aug. 15, 2015. He was reported missing by his family in east Toronto. A ligature was used in Mahmudi's death, which was sexual in nature. A coat found in McArthur's van contained Mahmudi's DNA. The same coat was connected to the staging of other deceased victims.
DEAN LISOWICK- Of no fixed address, was killed on or about April 23, 2016. He was 43 or 44 years old and was never reported missing. Lisowick didn't fit the profile of the earlier victims, who were gay and of Middle Eastern descent. A ligature was used in Lisowick's murder, which was sexual in nature. Jewelry belonging to Lisowick was found in McArthur's bedroom.
SELIM ESEN- Esen, 44, of Toronto, was killed on or about April 16, 2017. The disappearance became part of a police investigation called Project Prism, launched in August 2017. Five months later, McArthur was charged with Esen's presumed death. A ligature was used in his murder, and there was evidence of confinment with ropes. Esen's DNA as well as the weapon used in his murder were found inside McArthur's van. Esen's notebook was later found in McArthur's apartment.
ANDREW KINSMAN- The 49-year-old Toronto man was killed on or about June 26, 2017. Kinsman, who was also a subject of Project Prism, had a sexual relationship with McArthur. Kinsman's sisters said they searched for their brother for six months before police eventually charged McArthur in his death. A ligature was used in his murder as well as confinment with ropes. Video surveillance showed Kinsman getting into McArthur's van outside Kinsman's home. Kinsman's DNA and the weapon used in his murder were found inside McArthur's van.
SKANDARAJ NAVARATNAM- The 40-year-old was killed on or about Sept. 6, 2010. During the investigation, police found a piece of leather lacing from McArthur's van that contained Navaratnam's DNA. A bracelet belonging to Navaratnam was found in McArthur's bedroom.
ABDULBASIR FAIZI- Faizi was killed on or about Dec. 29, 2010. The 42-year-old was last seen in Toronto's gay village. His vehicle was found near the home of one of McArthur's landscaping clients. Faizi's disappearance was also investigated as part of Project Houston.
KIRUSHNA KANAGARATNAM- Kanagaratnam arrived in Toronto from Sri Lanka in 2010 and police believe he died on or about Jan. 6, 2016, at age 37. He was never reported missing and unlike McArthur's other victims, Kanagaratnam had no clear ties to the LGBTQ community. A ligature was used in his murder, which was sexual in nature. An unnamed international agency helped identify Kanagaratnam after investigators released a heavily edited photo of a dead man in a plea for public help.
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. A source told CTV News that the officers found the young man restrained on a bed when they entered McArthur's apartment. The man was shaken but not injured. Referred to in court as "John", the man had arrived in Canada from the Middle East five years earlier, was married and had not told his family that he was gay. He had met McArthur through dating app Growlr and said that they had met for sex several times. He had agreed to keep his relationship with McArthur secret, and let himself be handcuffed to McArthur's steel bedframe. McArthur put a black bag over his head and tried to tape his mouth shut before police officers interrupted him.
According to CP24, the officers had a search warrant for the apartment, obtained after gaining blood evidence from McArthur's van. Police seized electronic devices from the apartment, including five cellphones, five computers, three digital cameras, and about a dozen USB flash drives. Evidence found in McArthur's apartment shortly after the arrest prompted investigators to charge him with two counts of first-degree murder in the presumed deaths of Kinsman and Esen. Their bodies had not been found, but police said that they had a "pretty good idea" of how they died. Idsinga was satisfied that there was enough evidence for murder convictions even without the bodies.
A source told CTV News that photographs of the alleged victims found at McArthur's residence led to the charges. The Toronto Sun reported that McArthur's computer had grisly photos of his suspected victims kept as trophies.
On April 16, McArthur was charged with an eighth count of first-degree murder in the death of Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, whose remains were the seventh set identified from the Leaside planters. Police said his name had not come from the many tips generated by the release of his post-mortem photograph but that he had been identified with help from an undisclosed international agency. Kanagaratnam was a Tamil asylum-seeker who was under a deportation order and had not been reported missing. Police said they would look into why his name was not on a list of missing persons. 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.
On Jan. 29, a year after his arrest, McArthur pleaded guilty to eight counts of first degree murder in the deaths of eight Toronto men, most of whom had ties to the city’s Gay Village community.
While there is no longer any need for a trial to determine his guilt, a sentencing hearing allows the prosecution team to give evidence that will help the judge determine McArthur’s sentence. It also allows the people affected by his crimes, the friends and family of his victims, to articulate their grief both to McArthur and to the judge responsible for sentencing him.
McArthur faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole for at least 25 years. The Crown could seek consecutive parole ineligibility terms of 25 years for some of his crimes, or ask for concurrent time. Either way, McArthur will remain in prison at least until he is 91 years old.
On the first day of what is expected to be approximately a three-day hearing, McArthur sat motionless, looking straight ahead, as Crown prosecutor Michael Cantlon detailed the ways the murderer tried, and failed, to cover his tracks, destroy evidence of his crimes and evade arrest.
Cantlon spoke for more than an hour about the “unprecedented amount of real, forensic, digital and documentary evidence” police had uncovered and used to catch McArthur and identify his victims.
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