SERIAL murders

POLICE SEARCHING PROPERTIES LINKED TO MAN CHARGED WITH FIVE MURDERS

More murder charges expected to be laid against self-employed landscaper already accused in the deaths of five men

More murder charges are expected to be laid against a self-employed landscaper already accused in the presumed deaths of five men, as investigators continue to search properties linked to Bruce McArthur, Toronto police said Wednesday.

Police have said that investigators had found two planters with the skeletal remains of three individuals, but Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga told reporters Wednesday there are still more than a dozen planters that need to be processed by forensic teams.

“We have over a dozen planters and we’re not just grabbing every planter we see. If there is an indication from the canine units that there is some decomposition around that planter, we will grab it,” Idsinga said on Wednesday. “We have been doing that essentially since Saturday, going to different locations. It is quite a time consuming process.”

McArthur, 66, was arrested and charged Jan. 18 in the presumed deaths of Selim Esen, 44, and Andrew Kinsman, 49, who police said went missing from Toronto’s gay village last spring.

He was further charged Monday in the deaths of two missing men — Majeed Kayhan, 58, and Soroush Mahmudi, 50 — as well as Dean Lisowick, 47, who had never been reported missing.

“We believe there are more victims on top of those five,” Idsinga said. “I can’t give you any idea about a number, but I do expect more charges to be laid.”

Investigators plan to also excavate part of the lawn at a home in uptown Toronto where McArthur was known to have worked, Idsinga said Wednesday, adding that the work may start later this week or early next week.

He said police have set up heaters on the property where the excavation work will take place to keep the ground from freezing.

“There is a specialist who comes in, a forensic anthropologist who does that, and it’s essentially done by hand,” he said. “We can’t go in there with a digger and disturb any of the evidence.”