A former mall Santa was sentenced on Friday in the murders of eight men in Toronto. Bruce McArthur, 67, is ordered to serve a life term, and will be eligible for parole in 25 years. Authorities said this serial killer dismembered his victims and buried their bodies in potted plants. He also allegedly hid at least some of the remains on property where he stored his tools as a landscaper. The murders occurred in a period between 2010 and 2017, they said.
#Breaking Justice John McMahon sentences Bruce McArthur to life in prison with no eligibility of parole for 25 years.
— Adrian Ghobrial (@CityAdrian) February 8, 2019
“These men did not suffer a quick death,” McMahon said, according to City News reporter Adrian Ghobrial. He called the defendant a “sexual predator and killer,” who would’ve continued killing if not for being arrested.
McArthur pleaded guilty on Jan. 29. He was first charged in January 2018 with the murders of Selim Esen and Andrew Kinsman, after investigators found the defendant tied a 19-year-old man to a bed.
EXCLUSIVE – The man charged with two murders, Bruce McArthur played Santa at Agincourt Mall. The mall tells me he played that roll for several season and that “There were no reported incidents by customers or by store and Mall employees” pic.twitter.com/qQhVBVf9m5
— Richard Southern (@richard680news) January 19, 2018
More charges followed in the first-degree murders of Abdulbasir Faizi, Majeed Kayhan, Dean Lisowick, Soroush Mahmudi, Skandaraj Navaratnam, and Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam. Most of the victims were from the Gay Village neighborhood of Toronto. The defendant previously knew each of them, and had a sexual relationship with some, according to Toronto Police spokewoman Meaghan Gray in a CNN report.
McMahon says McArthur has saved the families from a graphic trial. While McArthur has admitted to his crimes it is “in my opinion that he hasn’t shown any remorse” McArthur declined to speak to the court when given an opportunity to this week.
— Adrian Ghobrial (@CityAdrian) February 8, 2019
Toronto police said they have no plans to release his mugshot.
[Screengrab via CBC; home where police say McArthur stored remains]
