Denis Mainville, of the Montreal police major crimes unit, speaks to reporters at a news conference in Montreal, Tuesday, June 5, 2012 about the arrest of Luka Rocco Magnotta, who is the main suspect in the killing of Chinese student Jun Lin. Miami police say they don't see any links between Luka Rocco Magnotta and a three-year-old cold case in the Florida city. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
June 12, 2012 - 10:53 AM
MONTREAL - Miami police say they don't see any links between Luka Rocco Magnotta and a three-year-old cold case in the Florida city.
Homicide detective Confesor Gonzalez says he contacted Canadian authorities about Magnotta after hearing from a reporter that the murder suspect may have spent time in Miami in recent years.
Magnotta is the prime suspect in last month's death and dismemberment in Montreal of Chinese university student Jun Lin.
While there is no evidence to connect Magnotta to any such killing elsewhere, the uniqueness of his alleged crime and his extensive international travels have caught the attention of investigators in several jurisdictions.
Gonzalez says he spoke to Canadian police about potential ties between Magnotta and the 2009 death and dismemberment of Guatemalan national Omar Laparra.
He declined to say anything else about the discussion.
The 29-year-old Magnotta was arrested recently in Berlin, where he's awaiting extradition to Canada.
Police forces in Los Angeles and Gatineau, Que., have also indicated that they're inspecting Magnotta's recent activity because both jurisdictions have unsolved homicide cases involving corpse mutilation.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012