Police end search, find more remains in McArthur investigation

A second exploration of a site where alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur is accused of burying the bodies of numerous men yielded human remains on nearly every day of a nine-day search, Toronto police said Tuesday.

The excavation of the area in and around a central Toronto home where McArthur once worked as a landscaper wrapped on Friday, said police spokesperson Meaghan Gray, noting that investigators have not yet determined if the remains found belong to more than one person, or if they’re dealing with more new alleged victims.

“Remains include everything right down to perhaps teeth or bone fragments,” Gray said, adding that identification efforts could take several weeks to complete.

Police had already conducted an extensive search of the residential property earlier this year, during which they uncovered the remains of seven of the eight men McArthur is accused of killing. They all had ties to Toronto’s Gay Village, and vanished between 2010 and 2017.

After completing the initial search of the property in the dead of winter, police indicated they planned to revisit the site in warmer conditions. When they returned to the home earlier this month, cadaver dogs immediately alerted them to the presence of human remains.

Gray said investigators continued to unearth remains on virtually every day of their second excavation of the property and surrounding area.

Police have searched about 100 properties linked to McArthur, but have only found body parts in and around the one home. His case returns to court on July 23.