Fresh on the heels of the juggnernaut success of Netflix’s Dahmner, the BBC is rushing into production a mini series based on Toronto’s Santa killer who preyed upon closeted Middle Eastern men between 2010 and 2017. Bruce MacArthur, a local landscapter in his 60s with two grown childern, pled guilty to eight separate counts of first-degree murder.
According to Queerty, “members of the local LGBTQ+ community accused the Toronto Police Department of not taking the men’s disappearances seriously.”
ITS WEDNESDAY MY DUDES!
Tune in tonight for a new true crime episode about Bruce McArthur! He worked on the side as a shopping mall Santa but had secrets buried deep within. So grab some hot cocoa and make sure to stop by! pic.twitter.com/L3pHJuYQ7V
— DFWTO Podcast (@DFWTO8811) December 11, 2019
McArthur had been on the police radar for quite some time. In 2003, he was convicted of beating a sex worker. He seemed remorseful enough to the judge and only got a two-year conditional sentence. The crime was then scrubbed from his record leaving him free to commit more heinous acts. As reported by Queerty,
“McArthur also had a reputation for having a terrible temper and for liking rough BDSM chemsex while using drugs like GHB. GHB is an odorless liquid that can be used to spike drinks, creating feelings of euphoria and, at high amounts, unconsciousness. When a man named Skandaraj Navaratnam went missing from the Gay Village, McArthur expressed concern because the man had been one of his former employees in his landscaping business. He helped the man’s friends hand out missing person flyers.”
New episode! He was the huggable bear of Toronto’s gay scene who dressed up as Santa over the holidays. But behind the facade Bruce McArthur was a violent predator targeting vulnerable migrant men. Available on Apple Podcasts, Android and Spotify! https://t.co/ryQNsnytki pic.twitter.com/6z4xvqkoxl
— Sinister Sissies Podcast (@SinisterSissies) May 24, 2020
When police forcibly entered McArthur’s apartment in January 2019, they rescued a man bound in restraints and in imminent danger. It was too late for Santa’s seven other victims: Selim Esen, Andrew Kinsman, Majeed Kayhan, Dean Lisowick, Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi, and Soroush Mahmudi. Police found photos of the victims and “trophies” McArthur kept. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison (which seems like not a lot of time compared to his horrific crimes) and he will be eligible for parole when he is 91.
This all begs the case, do we need another mini-series glorifying the acts of a convicted serial killer?
Sources: Queerty
Why only 24 years for 8 first-degree murders of gay men? Terrible how light the sentencing is.