Montreal police say Luka Rocco Magnotta is wanted in a homicide investigation in connection to the delivery of a human foot to the Conservative Party of Canada headquarters in Ottawa, and body parts discovered in both cities.
Police said Magnotta, 29, is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant and police are asking for the public's help to find him.
Magnotta is also known as Eric Clinton Newman and as Vladimir Romanov. Police describe him as five feet 10 inches tall and 135 pounds with black hair and blue eyes.
Police said Magnotta knew the person whose torso was found in Montreal on Tuesday, but have yet to identify the victim.
The epicentre of the investigation is a grimy apartment building in Montreal's west end. The torso was found behind the brick mid-rise, which is near the bustling Decarie Expressway.
Sources have told CBC News that police believe they are in possession of evidence of the suspect filming the killing and dismembering of the victim.
The building manager said Magnotta had lived there for four months but hadn't been seen around in a while. He said there were never any complaints about noise in the unit, and that Magnotta passed a credit test to rent there.
"He seemed like a nice guy," the manager, Eric Schorer, told The Canadian Press.
However, neighbour Richard Payette described him as "anti-social" and said Magnotta wouldn't talk to people.
"Even when I said hello to him if I saw him, he wouldn't even respond," Payette said.
Police in masks were combing through the blood-soaked apartment Wednesday, having zeroed in on the source of a rotten stench, says a building resident.
The neighbour said police were showing neighbours pictures of two men — the suspected victim and the homicide suspect.
Montreal police said Magnotta was not known to them and had no criminal record. But CBC News has learned that he was convicted on four counts of fraud in Ontario in 2005. He served 16 days pre-trial custody and was given a further nine-month conditional sentence and 12 months probation.
The suspect's name has also come up in association with videos showing the killing of kittens. A CBC News source said police are also investigating a possible connection between the suspect and Karla Homolka.
A website is also claiming it has posted video of a killing that is possibly linked to the suspect.
Montreal police Cmdr. Ian Lafrenière said he would not substantiate internet rumours about the suspect.
"We don't conduct our investigations via social media," he said.
2nd package addressed to Liberal Party
The discovery of the torso is believed to be linked to the foot sent to the Conservative headquarters and a hand found at a Canada Post terminal. that was addressed to the Liberal Party of Canada headquarters.
Lafrenière did not deny the second package was addressed to the Liberal Party, but told Solomon on Power and Politics it would be incorrect to link the actions to a political motive.
"I've been a police officer for more than 20 years now and I met officers that were doing an investigation for more than 30 years and they said they never saw a scene like that," said Lafrenière
"So it would be hard for me to say there is a political reason for this," he said.
'Horrible' crime scene
The hand and foot mailed to Ottawa were sent from a fake Montreal address, police said. Police also said there were other body parts sent by mail that they are still investigating.
Other body parts were also found at the same location where the torso was found. Police have not positively identified the victim.
Lafrenière described the scene of the alleged crime as "horrible" but said investigators would be releasing few details for now.
"The most important thing for us is to nab the suspect, and to make sure we don't jeopardize a future trial. I'd have a lot of trouble, as a father, to sleep if that happened."
Foot sent via Canada Post
The foot was discovered Tuesday after Ottawa police were called to the Conservative Party of Canada headquarters at 130 Albert St.
A party spokesman told CBC News the package was brought to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's campaign manager Jenni Byrne. She examined the package after it was opened, he said, but called police when she saw the blood and smelled the odour.
"Conservative Party staff are very upset and disturbed by what happened yesterday. It was such a horrible odour I'm sure many of us will never forget it," said Fred DeLorey, director of communications for the party.
The hazardous materials unit was called in and the coroner soon confirmed the package contained a human foot that was partially decomposed.
The Conservative Party Headquarters:
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Police have confirmed a hand and a foot were found near the torso.
| @ JudyTrinhCBC : MTL police confrm a hand & foot found near torso. In #Ottawa LEFT foot L-hand found. TOR Police sifting thrgh mail now #ottnews #cbcott |
The Montreal Gazette's video of Magnotta's apartment nearby Pace Lucy and Decarie Blvd in Montreal.
CBC is reporting that the severed left hand was addressed to Liberals and that the murder was videotaped.
| @ ShirleeEngel : I have confirmed the second Canada Post package containing a human hand was addressed to Liberal Party and that suspect videotaped murder |
CTV gives a look into Luka Rocco Magnotta's apartment in Montreal. The severed torso was reportedly found nearby and the area has been the centre of the investigation.
Police have confirmed that Magnotta once dated Karla Homolka.
| @ monique_muise : Montreal police have confirmed that suspect in body parts killing dated Karla Homolka. |
CBC is reporting that Magnotta has served time in prison for multiple fraud convictions.
| @ CBCOttawa : According to @CBCToronto, Luka Rocco Magnotta has 4 fraud convictions dating back to 2005. He served a 16-month sentence. #cbcott #ottnews |
| @ SunNewsNetwork : Coming up on #SunNews: exclusive video of Luka Magnotta. Rogers 142/567, Shaw Digital 177, Bell 506. |
CBC reported earlier that Magnotta may have videotaped the murder and dismemberment. It is not known if this is the video that Sun News will air.
According to police the two packages mailed to Ottawa were sent from a fake address in Montreal.
Police have not been able to identify the victim from the body parts found. They do know the victim is a white male.
CBC is also reporting that there may be a video of the murder and dismemberment.
According to the CBC, the second package intercepted at Canada Post, was addressed to the Liberal Party headquarters.
A Google translation of the Montreal Police press release:
Montreal, May 30, 2012 - Investigators Major Crime Police of the City of Montreal (SPVM) looking for a suspect in connection with the 11 th homicide that occurred on its territory. Luka Rocco Magnotta, 29, and is wanted on a Canada-wide arrest warrant.Luka Rocco Magnotta is also known by the pseudonyms Eric Clinton Newman and Vladimir Romanov. He is white, measuring 1.78 meters, weighs 61 kg, he has blue eyes and black hair.
Recall yesterday around 10 am 15, following a call from a citizen, police officers present at the rear of an apartment building in the Place Lucy, located in the Côte-des-Neiges. Agents make the discovery of human remains in a pile of garbage. The investigation was quickly transferred to the Major Crimes Section.
Investigative leads led investigators to a home Decarie Boulevard, also in the Côte-des-Neiges, where they conducted a search. In addition, biologists Laboratory of Forensic Science and Forensic Medicine were asked to analyze some elements of the scene.
Meanwhile, investigators are exploring the hypothesis that human remains found in Montreal, are related to human foot sent to the office of the Conservative Party of Canada in Ottawa yesterday and the package intercepted by Canada Post that contained a human hand. Currently, concrete elements, enabling the police to believe that events are linked. However, before concluding beyond doubt that a link exists, investigators await the results of pathological expertise.
Note that the SPVM works closely with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Ottawa Police on this issue.
Anyone with information about that person or see Luka Rocco Magnotta should immediately contact 911.
Police are saying they have not discovered other body parts elsewhere. They have not been able to identify the victim.
Cross-Canada warrant issued for 29-year-old suspect
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| @ ShirleeEngel : Luka Rocco Magnotta suspected in the torso/foot/hand case is the same person that comes up in google searches on kitten cruelty: police |
Many reports on suspect's name, but we're waiting for police to confirm
| @ meghan_hurley : Magnotta is allegedly a former stripper and porn star with multiple websites depicting him in various photo spreads #ottnews |
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| @ ShirleeEngel : This story is getting very disturbing. I'm hoping Montreal police can provide some more details for us. |
| @ ReporterGabe : There were more than 500 homicides reported to police in 2010. I wonder how many of those got the attention the one involving the torso has |
Investigators on Wednesday identified Luka Rocco Magnotta as a suspect in the mysterious case of a dismembered torso found in Snowdon on Tuesday, and are asking for the public’s help to locate him.
| @ mtlgazette : A police source has told The Gazette suspect in body parts case is Luka Rocco Magnotta. #bodyparts #MTL #ottnews http://t.co/zAIW9cPA |
Montreal Police just issued this statement:
Veuillez svp prendre note qu'AUCUN point de presse n'est prévu à 14 h, contrairement à l'information qui circule.
Nous enverrons un communiqué de presse vers 14 h 30.
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Translated:
Please note that NO press briefing is scheduled at 14 h (2 p.m. ET), contrary to information out there.
We will send a press release at 14 h 30.
We expect police to release a surveillance camera photo of the suspect at 2 p.m. ET. Stay tuned. We'll live blog the press conference
"The suspect and victim knew each other," Montreal police Cmdr. Ian Lafreniere told reporters. (CP)
Police have confirmed they are zeroing in on a suspect in the macabre case involving three body parts: the foot in a package opened at Conservative headquarters, a hand found at a Canada Post warehouse in Ottawa, and a torso in Montreal.
They all come from the same male victim, Montreal police confirmed Wednesday.
The packages in Ottawa were mailed from Montreal. Police shared other new details about the case Wednesday.
"The suspect and victim knew each other," Montreal police Cmdr. Ian Lafreniere told reporters.
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CBC | Posted: 05/30/2012 9:18 am Updated: 05/31/2012 7:54 am