Sri Lankan landed at CFB Esquimalt only to join alleged serial killer’s toll
The latest alleged victim of accused serial killer Bruce McArthur was a Sri Lankan asylum seeker who fled his warravaged country in hopes of building a better life for himself in Canada, those who knew him said Tuesday.
Friends and lawyers confirmed that Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam was one of 492 Sri Lankan Tamils aboard the MV Sun Sea, a dilapidated cargo vessel that was escorted by HMCS Winnipeg and HMCS Whitehorse to CFB Esquimalt after reaching coast of B.C. in August 2010 to conclude a harrowing six-week voyage.
Friends suggested Kanagaratnam led a lonely life after his arrival in Canada, travelling to Toronto to connect with some distant relatives and ultimately having his claim for refugee status denied.
Dinsan Vanniyasingam, a fellow MV Sun Sea passenger, said news of his friend’s death felt particularly cruel when contrasted with the optimism that marked the start of their sojourn in Canada.
“I am so shocked,” Vanniyasingam said. “We came to Canada, we were so happy because we were in a safe place. … Why [did] this have to happen again and again?”
Vanniyasingam knew little about Kanagaratnam’s background before he boarded the Sun Sea, but said he emerged as a well-liked and welcome presence on the crowded boat.
Describing his friend as innocent, trusting and helpful, he said Kanagaratnam could often be found singing songs and playing cards with his fellow passengers.
Details are murky about the five years Kanagaratnam spent in Canada.
While many of the Sun Sea travellers kept in touch, he said Kanagaratnam did not appear to be in regular contact after moving to the city.
Vanniyasingam said it’s not unusual for people to lie low while their status is under review, so he was not surprised not to see him around the community in the following years.
Over the past eight months, however, Vanniyasingam said he heard rumours that Kanagaratnam’s family had begun actively searching for him via Facebook posts and other online outreach efforts.
By then, however, Toronto police have confirmed it was too late.
Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga announced on Monday that Kanagaratnam was slain some time between early September and mid-December 2015, alleging that McArthur, a 66-year-old selfemployed landscaper, was responsible for his death.
Kanagaratnam’s remains were among seven recovered from planters at a central Toronto property where McArthur, who is facing eight counts of first-degree murder, once worked.
Kanagaratnam was 37 at the time of his death, making him the youngest of McArthur’s alleged victims.
Police allege McArthur primarily preyed upon men with ties to Toronto’s gay village, but said Kanagaratnam’s death appears to deviate from that pattern.