Warning: This article contains graphic details.To his friends and clients, Bruce McArthur was a gregarious white-haired landscaper who brought beauty to upscale Toronto neighbourhoods.But that pleasant demeanour masked a smouldering malevolence. He’s been charged with six counts of first-degree murder, accused of luring and murdering men, time and again.This is the story of a man who, under the nose of police in the heart of Toronto, is accused of dismembering and burying his victims; a master of duplicity who beguiled his friends and, despite the red flags, plied his deadly deceit in a trusting community.It’s an evolving portrait of evil, told through interviews, court documents and media reports, that depicts an alleged serial killer who, as one expert suggests, embodies “a level of brazenness” that is “very, very rare.”If the allegations prove true, so adroit was McArthur at concealing his butchery — a murderous spree that experts fear could stretch back decades — that even as the body count climbed, he remained a generous bon vivant hosting lively dinner gatherings and partying publicly.These days, McArthur is being held at the Toronto South Detention Centre in segregation and under constant suicide watch. The charges against him haven’t been proven in court. He has made pretrial court appearances via video link — the next is on April 11 — looking wan and tired with pronounced deep shadows under his eyes. He has spoken only to state his name and to thank the court.It was on a dreary January day that McArthur’s alleged past was revealed. A light snow had fallen, further shrouding the body parts he’s accused of concealing in Leaside planters, and not far away two women fretted. They wondered why their close friend Bruce hadn’t arrived as expected to pick them up for lunch.The women began, unsuccessfully, texting and phoning, concerned he’d suffered a heart attack or a med ...
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