The trial of accused serial killer Bruce McArthur will begin in January, 2020 and last for three to four months.
A judge set a trial start date of January 6, 2020 during a pre-trial hearing at the University Avenue courthouse on Friday morning.
The judge had initially suggested that the trial get underway in September, 2019 but agreed to delay it until the following January at the request of the defence.
McArthur, 67, has been in custody since his arrest last January which followed months-long investigation into the disappearances of a number of men from the city’s gay village.
He is facing eight counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Andrew Kinsman, Selim Esen, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Dean Lisowick, Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi and Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam.
McArthur did appear in court in person on Friday morning but did not speak, other than to say “morning” to the judge.
At one point, he nodded to acknowledge that he understood what was happening.
McArthur will return to court on Dec. 13 as the pre-trial hearing continues.
