BRUCE McArthur has been charged with another three counts of first-degree murder, after police recovered the dismembered remains of at least three people from the backyard of a Leaside residence, the Toronto Police announced on Monday.
The remains have not been identified.
The body parts were allegedly found in large planters at the rear of the property on Mallory Crescent.
The 66-year-old self-employed landscaper was arrested and charged on January 18 with the deaths of Selim Essen and Andrew Kinsman earlier in the year.
Esen, 44, of no fixed address, was reported missing by a friend on April 20, 2017. He consistently frequented the Church and Wellesley streets area and Kensington Market and often had a small plastic suitcase on wheels similar to a carry-on bag.
He was last definitively seen on March 20, 2017, even though there have been reports that he was also observed by a member of the community as late as April 14.
Kinsman, 49, was reported missing by a neighbour on June 28, 2017. Kinsman, known to be active on social media, was last seen in the area of his residence on Winchester Street on June 26.
At a news conference at police headquarters on Monday (January 29), Detective Sergeant Hank Idsinga said police believe MacArthur is responsible for the deaths of 58-year-old Majeed Kayhan, reported missing since October 2012, 50-year-old Soroush Marmudi, reported missing in August 2015, and 47-year-old Dean Lisowick, who was not reported missing.
He said Kayhan was one of the men whose disappearance was investigated by Project Houston, which ran from November 2012 to April 2014. That project identified three missing persons – Kayhan, Skanda Navaratnam and Abdulbasir Faizi – from the Gay Village.
Marmudi was reported missing in Scarborough by his family, while Lisowick was never reported missing.
“We believe that he was murdered between May 2016 and July 2017,” said Idsinga.
He said investigators continue to search McArthur’s residence at 95 Thorncliffe Park, and a residence at 53 Mallory, which McArthur used for storage for his landscaping work.
“Assistance from outside agencies, including the Ontario Provincial Police, the province’s forensic pathology services and the Centre of Forensic Sciences is being utilized to search these premises,” Idsinga said.
He’s encouraging anyone who employed McArthur as a landscaper at their residence, and has not talked to police, to contact investigators at 416-808-2021.
“I would ask that you contact us as soon as possible so that we can make arrangements to search your yards and gardens,” he said. “I thank all of these homeowners for their ongoing co-operation and wish to assure them that we will respect their privacy.
Investigators have identified about 30 properties within Toronto where McArthur worked.
“We believe there are more remains at some of these properties that we are working to recover,” Idsinga added. “…We have seized quite a few planters from around the city and we will continue to do that. There are at least two sites that we do want to excavate where people might be buried.”
People wishing to provide information can do so by calling 416-808-2021. They can also call anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS or 222tips.com.
(Toronto Police Service info by Ron Fanfair)