Bruce McArthur, the Toronto Gay Village serial killer, staged photos of his victims after he strangled them, a court heard yesterday.
Last week, McArthur, 67, pleaded guilty to the murders of eight men. Investigators suspect he was sexually involved with his victims, who he killed between 2010 and 2017.
His home was raided in January, 2018, and police found a potential ninth victim tied up.
Body parts of all eight of the victims were found at a home where McArthur worked as a gardener.
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The sentencing hearing in his case started yesterday, and the court heard about the gruesome nature of the murders of Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Dean Lisowick, Selim Esen, Andrew Kinsman, Skandaraj Navaratnam, Kirushnakumar Kanagaratnam, and Abdulbasir Faizi.
The prosecutor described how McArthur would dress up the victims’ bodies, one in a fur coat and black leather hat, and then take pictures of them.
Related: Why did it take the disappearance of a white man for arrest of alleged gay serial killer?
He put cigars in the mouths of two of the victims.
Police recovered a USB key in his home with folders labeled Skanda, Bazir, Hamid, Number 4, Number 5, Slider, Turkish Guy, Andy, and John. In each of the folders were pictures of the victims.
Between the USB key and his other devices, he had over 100 photos of Andrew Kinsman, the last victim. Investigators believe that 18 of them were taken after McArthur killed him, in two different poses.
Pictures of Soroush Mahmudi lying in bed with his eyes taped open and a cigar in his mouth and a white rope around his neck were found. McArthur had put a fur coat on his body, which police later found in McArthur’s van.
Selim Esen’s photos were found in the folder labeled “Turkish Guy.” In some of the pictures he’s shirtless and unconscious, and in others he is naked and has wounds around his neck. His beard was shaved off in a few photos.
McArthur didn’t just take pictures of his victims. The prosecutor said that he would shave them and keep their facial hair as well, which he stored in plastic bags at another house that he worked at.
First degree murder carries a sentence of life in prison with parole possible after 25 years served. The sentencing hearing is to determine whether the 25 years for each count of murder will be served concurrently or consecutively.
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