Members of the Toronto Police Service sift and excavate materials from the back of property along Mallory Cres. in Toronto after confirming they have found human remains during an investigation in relation to alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur on Thursday, July 5, 2018.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin
July 05, 2018 - 8:30 AM
TORONTO - Police have found more human remains near a property where accused serial killer Bruce McArthur worked as a landscaper.
Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga said the remains were found in a ravine Wednesday afternoon and have been sent for testing, but they have not yet been identified.
"Yesterday afternoon, human remains were located at one of the first digging sites," Idsinga told reporters at a news conference near the ravine on Thursday.
Investigators had previously found the remains of seven men hidden in large planters at the home in midtown Toronto in the winter months.
McArthur, 66, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of eight men with ties to Toronto's gay village — only one man's remains have not been found.
"We haven't identified what the remains are or who they belonged to," Idsinga said, adding that the remains could be from those already recovered.
McArthur is alleged to have killed Selim Esen, Skandaraj Navaratnam, Andrew Kinsman, Majeed Kayhan, Dean Lisowick, Soroush Mahmudi, Abdulbasir Faizi and Kirushna Kanagaratnam.
Idsinga said they have searched about 100 properties with links to McArthur's landscaping business and cadaver dogs found few spots of interest, but after some "minor excavations," nothing was found.
Several weeks ago, the dogs searched the ravine and found "multiple spots" of interest, he said.
It took weeks to co-ordinate with the City of Toronto, which is responsible for the ravine, to "take environmental issues into consideration."
"Some trees were cleared to allow access for equipment," Idsinga said.
Within hours of beginning excavation, police found the human remains.
"We found the remains there very ... it was a bit of a surprise," Idsinga said.
The remains have been sent to the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service for further examination, he said.
The identification process could involved fingerprints, dental records or DNA analysis, he said, which would take "days, weeks or months."
Idsinga anticipates the excavation will continue for another week.
McArthur's case is scheduled to return to court on July 23.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2018