Manhunt for alleged killer shifts to France

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This article was published 01/06/2012 (5188 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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MONTREAL — The search for the most wanted man in Canada has led police overseas as they believe Luka Rocco Magnotta fled to another continent before anyone suspected him of murder.

The 29-year-old faces a first-degree murder charge alleging he killed a man whose torso was discovered Tuesday, in a suitcase behind the apartment building where Magnotta lived for four months before he disappeared.

Police believe there is a link between the man Magnotta allegedly killed and body parts that were mailed to Ottawa. Packages containing body parts arrived Tuesday, coincidentally, around the same time a janitor discovered the torso inside a discarded suitcase in Montreal.

One package arrived at the federal Conservative party’s headquarters and another, destined for the Liberal party, was intercepted.

Montreal police Commander Ian Lafreniere said investigators believe Magnotta managed to leave Canada and is now “in another continent.”

An Ottawa police source said Magnotta took a flight May 25 from Canada to Paris. Magnotta’s possible presence there has raised concern in the French media, with France Soir warning that “l’acteur porno” could be in the country.

An arrest warrant issued by Interpol Thursday lists Magnotta’s birthplace as Scarborough, Ont.

One of Magnotta’s relatives said they spent Wednesday night close to the phone in case the high-profile fugitive calls.

“He hurt us when he was younger and we haven’t been in contact with him in a while,” said the relative. “We heard about all of this on the news, and then the police called and asked us to let them know if he calls us.”

The Montreal police believe Magnotta, an actor in gay pornographic videos, killed the man, whose remains have yet to be officially identified, on May 25, inside his tiny second-floor apartment.

The homicide only came to light four days later.

Besides first-degree murder, which carries an automatic life sentence with no parole for 25 years, Magnotta is also charged with committing an “indignity to the body of the human remains (of) an unknown person.”

Lafreniere said although the victim has yet to be identified officially, investigators believe they know who he was. He said one reason why the remains have yet to be officially identified is because some parts of the body have yet to be located. And he said investigators have had difficulty reaching the victim’s family, as they live outside Canada.

Magnotta does not have a criminal record in Quebec provincial court or in Montreal municipal court. But on Thursday, the Ottawa Citizen learned that in 2004, Magnotta was charged, under his birth name name Eric Clinton Newman, with defrauding numerous large retail chains, including Sears Canada Inc., the Brick and 2001 Audio Video. He was also accused of stealing $17,000 from a woman and sexually assaulting her.

He was sentenced to a nine-month conditional sentence and put on probation for 12 months in 2005 after convictions for three counts of fraud and impersonating with intent in Toronto. Seven other charges were dropped.

His bail conditions prohibited him from owning or using any computers, accessing the Internet and email.

However, Magnotta now has an extensive online profile and significant Internet notoriety earned by videos in which he tortures and kills kittens.

Montreal police backtracked Thursday on claims they made this week that Magnotta had dated Karla Homolka, one of Canada’s most notorious sex killers.

Police officials clarified Thursday that they were aware of many rumours on the Internet, but had no proof to substantiate those stories. In 2007, Magnotta came forward to news media to deny that he had dated Homolka, although many at the time suggested he was the one who started the rumours to gain attention.

 

— Postmedia News