After an exhaustive search near a Leaside property linked to accused serial killer Bruce McArthur, police say they have recovered and identified the remains of an eighth alleged victim.
Until now, the human remains of only seven of McArthur’s alleged victims had been located. Police say there has been no further evidence found to suggest the 66-year-old landscaper is involved in any other murders.
“Bruce McArthur is already charged with the murder of Majeed Kayhan, whom we allege was killed in 2012,” Det.-Sgt. Hank Idsinga said at a news conference on Friday.
“Although the examination and identification of remains continues, we do not have any evidence to suggest that Mr. McArthur is responsible for anything more than the eight murders to which he stands charged.”
The remains were uncovered during a nine-day search of a ravine located at the rear of 53 Mallory Crescent.
Investigators resumed excavation work at the Leaside property on July 4 after cadaver dogs sniffed out several new areas of interest. The home had previously been turned back over to its owners after an exhaustive search that stretched through a grueling portion of the winter.
The remains of seven men were previously uncovered in large planters seized from the property – where McArthur is said to have done landscaping work and stored equipment.
Kayhan’s remains were found in what Idsinga described as a “compost pile” made up of leaves and dirt. A crew of about 20 people – including officers from multiple jurisdictions and members of Ontario Forensic Pathology Services (OFP) – meticulously sifted through the dirt by hand, looking for evidence.
The search yielded results quickly, police said, with trace of remains found mere hours into the dig. Human remains were found almost every day afterward, authorities said.
Though Idsinga provided few details about the nature of the finds, the homicide detective suggested that they were able to identify the remains through dental records.
But there is still some evidence that needs to be analyzed, he said, and it’s possible that some of the remains could match one of the other men.
“These remains are dismembered, so that’s still an ongoing process with the Ontario Forensic Pathology Services to identify -- I hate to say it -- but bits and pieces and link them up,” he said. “Whether they link up to other remains we’ve currently recovered or whether they link up to Mr. Kayhan, that’s an ongoing process.”
Idsinga called the expanded search at the Mallory Crescent property “pretty unique,” noting that no other search at any of the 100 other GTA properties linked to McArthur yielded any evidence.
“I think that we’re done there. I hope that we’re done now,” he said.
While the physical search for evidence may be complete, Idsinga said investigators continue to comb through cold cases and unsolved missing persons cases and will follow up on any new tips.
So far, police have not linked McArthur to any outstanding cases.
“We’ve created a pretty diligent timeline on McArthur’s life. I’m not saying there aren’t more cases outside the GTA that might be linked, but right now we have nothing,” he said.
“I’m still getting tips, internationally, from different countries by email. We’re following up on absolutely everything. So we still have a lot of work to do.”
The focus now turns to the court case, he said.
Along with the remains found at Mallory Crescent, police have complied approximately 1,800 pieces of evidence from a lengthy search of McArthur’s Thorncliffe Park apartment.
McArthur was first charged in connection with the deaths of two men who went missing from Toronto’s Church-Wellesley neighbourhood, known as the Gay Village, in January of 2018.
To date, McArthur has been charged in connection with the deaths of eight men with ties to the LGBTQ community -- Andrew Kinsman, Selim Esen, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Dean Lisowick, Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi and Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam.
Police believe the men were killed between 2010 and 2017.
“There are eight victims that we’ve identified and I hope that it remains at just eight victims,” he said.
Victim’s family was ‘eternally hopeful’ police were wrong
Kayhan was first reported missing in October 25, 2012.
His disappearance was part of a Toronto police task force, Project Houston, started after the disappearances of Skandaraj Navaratnam and Abdulbasir Faizi.
The initiative was launched in November 2012 but was shut down by April 2014 citing no criminal evidence found related to the cases.
By February of 2018, Kayhan was identified as one of eight people allegedly murdered by McArthur.
Little is known publicly about Kayhan, but friends say the then-58-year-old was a regular in the Gay Village.
Idsinga said that while the news may provide closure to his family, they were “eternally hopeful” that police were wrong about his death.
“Obviously it’s very difficult for them. It was very difficult in February when we laid the murder charge and had not recovered any remains,” he said.
“They’re very angry and they’re angry at, I think, the right person, which is McArthur.”
McArthur is due back in court on July 23.
