July 4 (UPI) — Toronto police said Wednesday they relaunched their search of a property where they previously found remains linked to a landscaper charged with eight murders.
Over the past several months, specialists found the remains of seven missing men Bruce McArthur, 66, is accused of killing and hiding in large planters on the property. Police charged him with the murders of Andrew Kinsman, Soroush Mahmudi, Skandaraj Navaratnam, Selim Esen, Dean Lisowick, Abdulbasir Faizi and Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam.
He faces an eighth charge, for the death of Mejeed Kayhan, an Afghan man who immigrated to Canada and went missing in 2012. His body has yet to be found.
Police said cadaver-sniffing dogs indicated possible remains in the backyard of the residence, which McArthur serviced as a landscaper. Crime specialist Steve Ryan told CTV News he believes forensic scientists waited to resume their search at the property until the ground thawed from the winter.
“My understanding is this was their plan all along,” he said. “They are going back today probably to do their due diligence.”
Police spokeswoman Meaghan Gray said it’s too early to tell whether any remains will be found in the ground.
“Obviously our dogs are very well trained, and have been successful in the past. They indicated on the planters that we ended up seizing, where we found all of the remains to date,” she said.
Police arrested McArthur in January after finding several body parts in the planters.
The disappearances and killings linked to McArthur appear to center around Toronto’s Gay Village neighborhood. Police believe McArthur met his victims in the area and through dating apps.
Police searched more than 100 properties McArthur serviced as a landscaper and found remains only at one location.
