Alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur, accused of first-degree murder in the deaths of eight men, has waived his right to a preliminary hearing.Clean-shaven and wearing a black V-neck sweater over a light blue shirt and jeans, McArthur appeared in person before a judge, the first time he’d been present in court in months. He didn’t speak a word during the brief appearance, his eyes never glancing over at the victims’ families, who sat in the first two rows of the courtroom. McArthur, 67, is facing eight counts of first-degree murder in homicides alleged to have occurred between 2010 and 2017. All of the alleged victims had ties to Toronto’s Church and Wellesley area, the Gay Village. The move to bypass a preliminary hearing speeds up the court process, eliminating a pre-trial court procedure that would have required the presentation of evidence, including witness testimony. Speaking to reporters after McArthur’s appearance, Toronto police Det. David Dickinson, one of the homicide investigators on the case, said he was happy the process has been sped up for the witnesses and the victims’ families.“We’re going to focus on moving forward,” he said. Dickinson said a team of six officers is continuing to probe McArthur’s background, and any possible links to cold cases, though none have been established to date. Read more: A timeline of the Bruce McArthur case and the police investigation into the Gay Village killingsFamily honours Selim Esen at memorial serviceJames Miglin, the lawyer representing McArthur in court, declined to comment Monday. Haran Vijayanathan, executive director of the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP), a group that has been advocating on behalf of victims and families in the case, said he was relieved the court process wasn’t being drawn out. “I think the sooner that we can put this to rest and the families have answers, the better it is for folks,” he sa ...
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