Investigators now say they have found the remains of âat leastâ six individuals on a property linked to alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.
Police said Thursday that some of those remains belong to Andrew Kinsman, who went missing last summer. The other remains have yet to be identified.
McArthur, 66, has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder. The charges are related to the presumed deaths of Selim Esen, 44, Majeed Kayhan, 58, Soroush Mahmudi, 50, Dean Lisowick, either 43 or 44, and the death of Kinsman, 49.
The victims had disappeared over the past eight years and were known to be part of Torontoâs gay village, in the neighbourhood of Church and Wellesley streets.
Since McArthurâs arrest on Jan. 18, investigators have been scouring approximately 30 properties linked to him.
The remains of six people were found inside large flower planters around 53 Mallory Cres., an east-end Toronto home, Det.-Sgt. Hank Idsinga told reporters on Thursday.
Police have previously said that McArthur stored supplies used for his landscaping business on that property.
Idsinga said forensics investigators are still working to identify all the remains found in the planters and he anticipates that more charges will be laid against McArthur.
âItâs going to be a very, very extensive investigation,â he said.
Investigators are now preparing to dig up the backyard at 53 Mallory Cres., and have been heating the frozen ground, Idsinga said.
Ground-penetrating radar showed âareas of interestâ in the backyard, and a forensic pathologist will be overseeing the dig, he said. A large tent covered the backyard on Thursday.
Idsinga said police have finished their search inside the house and the homeowners will be able to return Thursday night if they want to.
He said there is another site connected to McArthur that investigators are âinterestedâ in, but itâs not clear yet whether any digging will be done there.
In a brief statement to CP24, McArthurâs son, Todd McArthur, said his family has been âgoing through hell.â
âThis has been absolute hell...thatâs all we have to say for now. There will be no further comment from the family,â he said.
None of the allegations against McArthur have been tested in court.