Toronto police say human remains found at a ravine near a property linked to accused serial killer Bruce McArthur have been identified as those belonging to 58-year-old Majeed Kayhan.
Police said remains were found almost every day during their two-week search at a ravine located in the rear of 53 Mallory Cres., where police found the remains of seven men in large planters earlier this year.
Acting Insp. Hank Idsinga said during a news conference Friday morning that police don’t believe McArthur is linked to any other murders, but an investigation into cold cases dating from the 1970s and 1980s is ongoing.
“We do not have any evidence to suggest that Mr. McArthur is responsible for anything more than the eight murders to which he currently stands charged,” Idsinga said.
“At this time, we have no evidence to suggest that there are any further remains to be located at any further locations.”
Kayhan, who was reported missing on Oct. 25, 2012, was identified in February by police as one of eight alleged victims of McArthur.
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The excavation, which began July 4 and ended July 13, was concentrated on several areas in the ravine. Police said the remains were discovered on the first day of the dig and subsequent searches in the days ahead resulted in similar findings.
McArthur, who has been charged with eight counts of first-degree murder, worked as a landscaper and used the property to store tools and supplies.
Police said some of the remains recovered in the ravine have yet to be positively identified.
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“We’re still identifying some of them and like I said back in the winter, these remains are dismembered,” Idsinga said.
“So that’s still an ongoing process with the Ontario forensic pathology services to identify, I hate to say it, bits and pieces and link them up, and whether they all link up to the remains we’ve already recovered, or whether they link up to Mr. Kayhan. We don’t know yet. That’s an ongoing process.”
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Idsinga said police have spoken to Kayhan’s family overseas and are grateful for the closure.
“Obviously it’s a very difficult time for them. It was very difficult in February when we laid the murder charge in relation to Mr. Kayhan and had not recovered any of the remains,” Idsinga said.
“And of course they were eternally hopeful that what’s happened ultimately wouldn’t happen. But they’re very grateful, very thankful for the closure and they’re very angry. They’re angry at the right person and that’s Mr. McArthur.”
Police said the K-9 unit revisited the home’s property several times this year and indicated there was a need to examine the area further.
Authorities said that between May and June, investigators conducted searches at 100 other properties related to McArthur’s landscaping business, but nothing was found.
“Mallory (Crescent) was pretty unique. Obviously we had found those remains there earlier in the year,” Idsinga said.
“We’ve been back there several times and kept on expanding our search. I hope that we’re done now and there’s nothing left to be found there.”
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McArthur was arrested in January and charged with murdering Andrew Kinsman and Selim Esen, who went missing from Toronto’s gay village in 2017.
Later that month, he was charged with the first-degree murders of Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, and Dean Lisowick. In February, he was also charged in the death of Skandaraj Navaratnam.
In April police charged McArthur in the death of Abdulbasir Faizi, who was reported missing in 2010, and days later charged him in the death of Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, who came to Canada from Sri Lanka and was not reported missing.
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Police said that although they are still receiving tips on the McArthur investigation, investigators are now focused on the court process.
“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,” Idsinga said.
“We are focused right now on the court process as well and getting disclosure ready and getting the Crown up to speed on the investigation and the evidence, so I wouldn’t say the investigation is turning, but it is definitely progressing.”
Idsinga said there is some satisfaction knowing the eighth victim has finally been identified but there is no solace knowing lives were lost.
“You’re happy and content that you’ve found what you’ve found and brought to a resolution to some very difficult questions and got some answers to the families, but I think it’s hard under the circumstances and the tragedy of it all to be happy,” he said.
McArthur is scheduled to make his next court appearance on July 23.
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