After nearly a year of ignoring the local gay community’s pleas, Toronto police have finally arrested a suspect in the disappearance of two gay men. Authorities have labeled the suspect a possible serial killer.
The LGBT folk of Toronto have begged authorities since April 2017 to treat a series of disappearances by gay men as the work of a serial murderer. After the arrest of 66-year-old Bruce McArthur, it looks like police have finally started to listen.
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Police charged McArthur with the first degree murders of Selim Esen, 43, and Andrew Kinsman, 49, both of whom disappeared last year. Police emphasized that they have yet to discover the remains of either man, and that investigators have identified at least five different properties across Canada to search for their bodies.
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Law enforcement has also confirmed they believe they will find more victims. McArthur works as a landscaper, which police believe allowed him the chance to dispose of his victims’ bodies.
Already the outrage within Toronto’s gay community has turned to relief, though criticism of the police department in investigating these cases continues.
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“It didn’t feel like a lot these cases were being taken as seriously or that the response wasn’t as swift or as quick as it could have been has been disappointing,” said Michael Erikson, owner of a Toronto bookshop catering to the LGBT community.
Speculation also continues on social media regarding the status of other missing gay men in the Toronto area, and if McArthur could be responsible for their disappearances.