Posted February 09, 2018 14:18:04

Police in Toronto have recovered the remains of at least six people from planters on a property connected to alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.

Detective Sergeant Hank Idsinga said the remains, found on property Mr McArthur used as storage in exchange for doing the landscaping, included some from Andrew Kinsman — one of the five men Mr McArthur is already charged with killing.

Mr McArthur was arrested on January 18 and charged with two counts of murder in connection with the disappearances of Mr Kinsman and Selim Esen, two men last seen in the "Gay Village" district of Toronto.

Not long after that, he was charged with the murders of three more men and police said they were on a wide search for other possible victims. Police expect to file more charges.

Investigators are still working to determine who the other alleged victims are from the property. They have not determined yet if they are the same men or other people.

Authorities have checked at least 30 other places where the landscaper was known to have worked, including some of Toronto's wealthiest neighbourhoods.

Police have said they expect to find more remains in the planters they have retrieved from around the city.

Detective Sergeant Idsinga said they have about 15 planters now, but he declined to say where they are in examining them.

Investigators are also starting to excavate part of the lawn at the home where the new remains were found.

McArthur described himself as 'romantic at heart' on gay dating apps

Photo: Clockwise from left: Majeed Kayhan, 58, Dean Lisowick, 47, Soroush Marmudi, 50, Selim Esen, 44, and Andrew Kinsman, 49, were allegedly killed by Bruce McArthur. (Supplied: Toronto Police Service)

Investigators have not yet released complete details, but the 66-year-old Mr McArthur is believed to have met his victims cruising around the city in the van he used for work and on gay dating apps for older and large men with names such as "SilverDaddies" and "Bear411."

In his SilverDaddies profile, Mr McArthur described himself as 5 feet 10 inches (177cm) tall and 221 pounds (100kg) and primarily interested in younger men.

"I can be a bit shy until I get to know you, but am a romantic at heart," he wrote.

On his Facebook page, he posted pictures of his cats, children and grandchildren and of himself dressed as Santa Claus.

"There is an extensive digital investigation going on," Detective Sergeant Idsinga said.

"We're going through computers. We're going through cell phones. We're going through online applications and different apps."

Mr McArthur is due back in court on February 14.

He has yet to enter a plea. Edward Royle, a lawyer for Mr McArthur, has declined comment on the case.

Hundreds of missing persons cases to be looked at

Photo: Police officers guard the grounds of a house connected with alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur. (Reuters: Chris Donovan)

The other three known victims are 58-year-old Majeed Kayhan, who went missing in 2012, Soroush Marmudi, 50, who went missing in 2015 and Dean Lisowick, who went missing between May 2016 and July 2017.

Police said Lisowick, who was in his mid-40s, was homeless, stayed in public shelters and had not been reported missing.

Kinsman, 49, went missing last June and Esen, 44, was reported missing last April.

Police will eventually look at hundreds of missing person cases and try to determine if they were victims of Mr McArthur.

They are also running down tips that have come in from around the world.

"We are dealing with some agencies overseas," Detective Sergeant Idsinga said.

AP

Topics: murder-and-manslaughter, missing-person, police, courts-and-trials, world-politics, canada