Toronto police homicide investigators say the remains of at least six people have now been recovered at a property on Mallory Crescent as part of the investigation into alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.

One set of remains has been confirmed to be that of Andrew Kinsman, Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga said outside of the residence in Toronto’s Leaside neighbourhood on Thursday.

He said the remains of five other people have yet to be identified.

READ MORE: Tips on alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur coming from around the world”

McArthur, a 66-year-old self-employed landscaper, was charged last month with five counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of missing men from the city’s Church-Wellesley Village.

McArthur was arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of Selim Esen and Andrew Kinsman on Jan. 18 following a months-long probe into missing persons cases.

READ MORE: Police seize planters from more GTA homes where suspected serial killer Bruce McArthur worked

On Jan. 29, police said McArthur was charged with three more counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Majeed Kayhan, Dean Lisowick and Soroush Mahmudi.

Investigators said they believe there are more victims.

When contacted by Global News Thursday, Patricia Kinsman expressed relief that her brother’s remains have been recovered.

“We’re glad that he’s been found – or most of him has been found,” she said. “Now we’re just waiting to have him return to us, which will take a couple of months probably.”

READ MORE: Police seize planters from more GTA homes where suspected serial killer Bruce McArthur worked

She said the family remains “in shock.”

“When we were looking for him in July, August, September and right up into December, we just thought we were looking for Andrew – a body. It turns out we weren’t even close to the truth. Never in my nightmares did I think that this is what was going to come of it.”

Patricia Kinsman, Andrew Kinsman’s sister tells me she’s in shock after learning her brother’s remains were found in a planter. “I just hope it was quick. This is just the start of it. How many more are there?” #BruceMcArthur has been charged with Kinsman’s murder. More at 5:30 — Catherine McDonald (@cmcdonaldglobal) February 8, 2018

LISTEN: Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga joins The John Oakley Show on 640 Toronto

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Meanwhile, investigators are continuing to examine large planters seized at sites throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Idsinga said 15 planters have been collected in total.

READ MORE: Who are suspected serial killer Bruce McArthur’s alleged victims?

He said the Leaside property — where McArthur stored landscaping equipment and visited several times — is the only place where remains have been discovered.

Police were seen emerging from the home on Thursday morning with bags and boxes. At the press conference, Idsinga said investigators have finished their search inside the home, and are moving outside to dig up the backyard.

Police have been thawing a 20-by-20-foot area for about a week, he said.

Kathy Gruspier, a forensic anthropologist with the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, is leading the excavation.

Just moments ago, four forensic investigators emerged from Mallory Crescent home where #BruceMcArthur landscaped with bags & boxes of evidence @globalnewsto pic.twitter.com/FE7fmIZKMG — Catherine McDonald (@cmcdonaldglobal) February 8, 2018

McArthur, who was under police investigation since September, remains in custody. The charges have not been proven in court. He is scheduled to appear again in court on Feb. 14.

READ MORE: Timeline of events for Toronto serial killer Bruce McArthur

Police launched Project Houston in 2012 after three men went missing in the Church and Wellesley neighbourhood. Their investigation concluded in 2014 when leads in the case dried up.

Toronto police started a missing persons probe called Project Prism last August after Esen and Kinsman disappeared just a couple of months apart.

Police were subsequently criticized by the LGBTQ community for not escalating their search efforts and for dismissing rumours that a serial killer was in their midst.

Anyone who retained McArthur to do landscaping work or has information is being asked to contact the Toronto police team dedicated to the investigation at 416-808-2021 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477.

With files from Nick Westoll and Catherine McDonald</s>Toronto police say they have recovered the remains of at least six people in their investigation into alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.

Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga says more charges are expected against McArthur, who is currently charged with first-degree murder in the presumed deaths of five men.

Police say some of the body parts recovered belong to Andrew Kinsman, one of the men McArthur is accused of murdering.

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

McArthur was further charged in late January in the deaths of two missing men — Majeed Kayhan, 58, and Soroush Mahmudi, 50 — as well as the death of Dean Lisowick, either 43 or 44, who had never been reported missing.

More to come.
• ‘An emotional roller-coaster’: Vigil held by LGBTQ community for victims of serial killer
• How Bruce McArthur went from small-town sock salesman to accused serial killer
• By allegedly burying remains in planters, Bruce McArthur may have accidentally preserved bones for police</s>The remains of at least six individuals were located on a Canadian property, reportedly connected to a man currently facing murder charges, authorities said Thursday.

Det. St. Hank Idsinga of the Toronto police said Bruce McArthur, 66, who was arrested in January in connection to the presumed deaths of five men, used the Toronto property as storage in exchange for doing landscaping jobs.

The remains were found in planters on the property and some of them belonged to Andrew Kinsman, whom McArthur is accused of killing, Idsinga said.

LANDSCAPER, MALL SANTA CLAUS WHO SOUGHT ‘SUBMISSIVE MEN’ IS ‘ALLEGED SERIAL KILLER,’ POLICE SAY

McArthur, a former landscaper and shopping mall Santa Clause, was described by authorities last month as “an alleged serial killer” after he was accused of murdering at least five people.

The suspect was first arrested on Jan. 18 and charged with two counts of first degree murder in connection to the disappearances of Kinsman and Selim Esen, two men last seen in the “Gay Village” district of Toronto.

More than a week later, he was charged again for allegedly murdering three other people after dismembered remains were found hidden in the bottoms of large planters. Idsinga said at the time that the remains had not been identified. McArthur was accused of killing Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Marmudi and Dean Lisowick.

"The city of Toronto has never seen anything like this," Idsinga said at the time. "It is unprecedented and draining. He's an alleged serial killer and he's taken some steps to cover his tracks."

Authorities have not yet determined whether the remains belong to the men whom McArthur is accused of killing or other people.

The house and garage that sits on the property was searched by authorities. Officials are also digging up a portion of the lawn where the remains were found.

They have also checked at least 30 other places where McArthur had worked.

Police have said that they expect to find more remains in planters they’ve recovered from around the city. So far, 15 have now been retrieved, Idsinga said.

Investigators have not yet released complete details, but McArthur is believed to have met his victims driving around the city in the van he used for work and on gay dating apps for older and large men with names such as "SilverDaddies" and "Bear411."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Toronto police said Thursday they’ve recovered the remains of at least six people from planters on a property connected to alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.

Lead investigator Det. St. Hank Idsinga said the remains, found on property McArthur used as storage in exchange for doing the landscaping, included some from one of the five men McArthur is already charged with killing, Andrew Kinsman.

McArthur was arrested Jan. 18 and charged with two counts of murder in connection with the disappearances of Kinsman and Selim Esen, two men last seen in the “Gay Village” district of Toronto. Not long after that, he was charged with the murders of three more men and police said they were on a wide search for other possible victims.

Read more at the NY Post</s>Investigators now say they have found the remains of “at least” 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 Toronto’s gay village, in the neighbourhood of Church and Wellesley streets.

Since McArthur’s 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.

“It’s going to be a very, very extensive investigation,” 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 “areas of interest” 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 “interested” in, but it’s not clear yet whether any digging will be done there.

In a brief statement to CP24, McArthur’s son, Todd McArthur, said his family has been “going through hell.”

“This has been absolute hell...that’s all we have to say for now. There will be no further comment from the family,” he said.

None of the allegations against McArthur have been tested in court.</s>(TORONTO) — Toronto police said Thursday they’ve recovered the remains of at least six people from planters on a property connected to alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.

Lead investigator Det. St. Hank Idsinga said the remains, found on property McArthur used as storage in exchange for doing the landscaping, included some from one of the five men McArthur is already charged with killing, Andrew Kinsman.

McArthur was arrested Jan. 18 and charged with two counts of murder in connection with the disappearances of Kinsman and Selim Esen, two men last seen in the “Gay Village” district of Toronto. Not long after that, he was charged with the murders of three more men and police said they were on a wide search for other possible victims.

Idsinga said police expect to lay more charges.

Authorities have checked at least 30 other places where the landscaper was known to have worked, including some of Toronto’s wealthiest neighborhoods. Police have said they expect to find more remains in the planters they’ve retrieved from around the city. Idsinga said they have about 15 planters now.

Investigators are also starting to excavate part of the lawn at the home where the new remains were found. Police have set up a tent and heaters on the property to keep the ground from freezing and a forensic anthropologist arrived at the property on Thursday.

Idsinga said investigators finished searching inside the house and the garage and said the occupants of the home are free to return, but can’t go into the backyard.

He said police have thought about excavating a second property, but said it might depend on what they find in that backyard.

Investigators have not yet released complete details, but the 66-year-old McArthur is believed to have met his victims cruising around the city in the van he used for work and on gay dating apps for older and large men with names such as “SilverDaddies” and “Bear411.” In his SilverDaddies profile, McArthur described himself as 5 feet 10 inches tall and 221 pounds and primarily interested in younger men. “I can be a bit shy until I get to know you, but am a romantic at heart,” he wrote.

On his Facebook page, he posted pictures of his cats, children and grandchildren and of himself dressed as Santa Claus.

Edward Royle, a lawyer for McArthur, has declined comment on the case. McArthur is due back in court on Feb. 14. He has yet to enter a plea.

The other three known victims are 58-year-old Majeed Kayhan, who went missing in 2012, Soroush Marmudi, 50, who went missing in 2015 and Dean Lisowick, who went missing between May 2016 and July 2017. Police said Lisowick, who was in his mid-40s, was homeless, stayed in public shelters and had not been reported missing. Kinsman, 49, went missing last June and Esen, 44, was reported missing last April.

Police will eventually look at hundreds of missing person cases and try to determine if they were victims of McArthur. They are also running down tips that have come in from around the world.

“We are dealing with some agencies overseas,” Idsinga said.</s>TORONTO — The task of searching for human remains in the case of an alleged serial killer is so daunting that Toronto police say cadaver dogs from neighbouring forces are now assisting with the massive and expanding investigation.

Hundreds of police officers have been going through at least 30 properties connected to Bruce McArthur, a 66-year-old landscaper accused of killing five men and hiding skeletal remains in planter boxes.

READ MORE: Remains of 6 people found at house connected to accused serial killer Bruce McArthur: Toronto police

So far police have uncovered the remains of six people, and have identified one of them — 49-year-old Andrew Kinsman, who disappeared from the city’s gay village in June 2017.

Toronto police said they were working with the RCMP to sift through the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains database in an effort to identify the other remains.

LISTEN: Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga explains how dogs led police to planters containing human remains

The force expects to expand its search geographically outside the Toronto area eventually, but for now they said the focus remains in the city.

“It’s a daunting task, but we are going to do it,” said Toronto police spokeswoman Meaghan Gray.

READ MORE: Tips on alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur coming from around the world”

Even the dogs are exhausted, she said, so cadaver dogs from the Ontario Provincial Police, York and Peel forces have been helping out.

“Our dogs are getting tired and they needed a rest and we had to keep the investigation going so we asked for help,” Gray said. “The dogs really do need to rest their noses. They get less effective the more they work.”

McArthur has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder for the death of Kinsman and the presumed deaths of Selim Esen, 44, Majeed Kayhan, 58, and Soroush Mahmudi, 50, as well as the death of Dean Lisowick, who was either 43 or 44. All five men are believed to have had ties to the LGBT community.

READ MORE: Police seize planters from more GTA homes where suspected serial killer Bruce McArthur worked

Police have said they expect to lay more charges against McArthur.

“Right now we’re focused on finding remains and identifying those remains,” said Gray. “Most of our partnerships are with units that can help us do that.”

On Friday, Dr. Kathy Gruspier with the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service and her team began digging into the backyard of the home in midtown Toronto where all the human remains have been found, Gray said.

WATCH: Toronto Police are still working at other sites in Bruce McArthur case

The lead detective on the case, Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga, spoke Thursday about the scope of the investigation.

“It is getting bigger and we are getting more resources the further we go along,” he said. “It’s going to be a very, very extensive investigation as we go.”

Ontario Provincial Police have helped out with their ground penetrating radar device in the backyard. Several spots of interest have been identified, Idsinga said.

READ MORE: Who are suspected serial killer Bruce McArthur’s alleged victims?

Renee Willmon, a forensic anthropologist who has worked on other cases with both Toronto and provincial police, said the device allows police to determine disturbances in the soil or if something is buried.

“These are the worst conditions to be excavating in given how cold it is,” Willmon said. “You don’t want to be pulling up chunks of soil. It needs to be soft enough work with hand tools like a trowel and work is only done centimetres at a time. This could take quite a while.”

In addition to the scores of tips that are coming in from the public, numerous police forces have reached out to Toronto inquiring about other missing persons cases, Gray said.

“We will be working with those jurisdictions to review those cases, but we’re focusing on Toronto first,” she said.</s>Toronto police say they've recovered the remains of at least 6 people from a property connected to alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.

Lead investigator Det. St. Hank Idsinga said Thursday all the remains were found in planters on the property. McArthur used it as storage in exchange for doing the landscaping.

McArthur was arrested Jan. 18 and charged with two counts of murder in connection with the disappearance of Andrew Kinsman and Selim Esen, two men last seen in the "Gay Village" district of Toronto. Not long after that, he was charged with the murders of three more men and police said they were on a wide search for other possible victims.

Idsinga says remains from Kinsman were found at the property.</s>Toronto police say they will update the public this afternoon on their investigation into alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.

McArthur, 66, has been charged with first-degree murder in the presumed deaths of five men and police have said they believe there are more alleged victims.

Today’s update will take place near a residential property linked to McArthur where police found planters with the skeletal remains of three individuals.

Police are expected to soon begin excavations at the property and have been thawing the ground to allow a forensic anthropologist to begin work.

Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga, the homicide detective leading the investigation, has called the case unprecedented in its scope, with officers examining 30 properties where McArthur, a self-employed landscaper, worked.

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

McArthur was further charged in late January in the deaths of two missing men — Majeed Kayhan, 58, and Soroush Mahmudi, 50 — as well as the death of Dean Lisowick, either 43 or 44, who had never been reported missing.</s>Toronto police say they will update the public this afternoon on their investigation into alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.

McArthur, 66, has been charged with first-degree murder in the presumed deaths of five men and police have said they believe there are more alleged victims.

Today's update will take place near a residential property linked to McArthur where police found planters with the skeletal remains of three individuals.

Police are expected to soon begin excavations at the property and have been thawing the ground to allow a forensic anthropologist to begin work.
The remains of six people found on a property in East York are linked to alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.