Journal Pioneer

Police wrap search without finding more remains in McArthur probe

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The excavation of a Toronto property where six presumed victims of an alleged serial killer were found buried in planters has concluded without unearthing any more human remains, police said Tuesday

Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga said police have finished digging up the backyard of the home where Bruce McArthur, 66, worked as a landscaper prior to his arrest on multiple murder charges. McArthur is currently facing five charges of first-degree murder related to the disappeara­nces of men who are all believed to have had ties to the LGBTQ community.

Police have so far identified only one set of remains found in planters at the home on Mallory Crescent — they belong to Andrew Kinsman, one of the men McArthur is accused of murdering — and investigat­ors have said they expect to lay more charges in the coming days. The excavation of the backyard on Mallory Crescent was being conducted under the guidance of a forensic anthropolo­gist and involved borrowing radar equipment from the provincial police force.

Idsinga said police did not find any additional remains during the dig, but said investigat­ors may “revisit the scene once the weather warms up.’’ Police previously had to thaw the ground hardened by weeks of bitter cold before commencing the dig. Idsinga said the sprawling investigat­ion, which has identified 30 properties of interest and borrowed resources from outside of Toronto, will concentrat­e on evidence gathered so far before venturing further afield. “We are focusing now on identifyin­g the remains that we have located,’’ Idsinga told The Canadian Press, adding none of the other properties identified so far will replace the Mallory Crescent home as the primary investigat­ion site.

“There is a ... location that we are interested in, but it won’t get the same level of scrutiny unless some pending forensic tests give us the grounds to do so.’’ McArthur was charged on Jan. 18 with 49-year-old Kinsman’s death, as well as the presumed death of 44-year-old Selim Esen. Both men went missing from Toronto’s gay village in 2017.

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