Luka Rocco Magnotta, the 29-year-old sought by police in connection with a suspected homicide linked to the mailing of body parts to political offices, is a self-described model with a sprawling online presence that includes allegations of animal killings.
Police issued a Canada-wide warrant for Magnotta on Wednesday after a human foot was sent to the Conservative Party headquarters in Ottawa. A headless torso was found in Montreal.
A hand addressed to the Liberal Party was later found at a postal depot, CBC's Evan Solomon learned.
A man with the name Luka Rocco Magnotta has a presence online as a low-budget adult film actor and is known for controversial videos he has posted online in the past.
Police say Magnotta, believed to be originally from Toronto, was renting an apartment in a Montreal building that is now at the epicentre of the body-parts investigation.
The man now known as Luka Rocco Magnotta changed his name from Eric Clinton Kirk Newman on Aug. 12, 2006, CBC's John Nicol reported.
He has also gone by the name Vladimir Romanov, among others. His multiple identities were confusing enough that even police had to issue a second press release Wednesday after originally identifying him as "Rocco Luka."
Montreal police said Wednesday that Magnotta wasn't known to them, but CBC's John Lancaster said that the accused has a criminal record in Ontario.
In 2005, he was convicted on four counts of fraud and served 16 days in pre-trial custody. He was given a further nine-month conditional sentence and 12 months' probation.
Magnotta was also the subject of online rumours about possible ties to notorious schoolgirl killer Karla Homolka. But in 2007, Magnotta spoke to the Toronto Sun's Joe Warmington and denied internet rumours linking him to Homolka. He asserted he had never even met Homolka.
Warmington told Carol Off of CBC's As it Happens that Magnotta didn't make much sense during their 2007 interview.
"It was one of those situations where you realize somebody is not all there," Warmington said. "I tried to be respectful and maybe even get some help – but he had a story to tell and we let him tell it."
"He talked about somebody killing his dog, and he talked about being in great demand as an escort, a male escort, that kind of thing."
The Toronto Sun reporter said he will never forget the young man he spoke to who was "clearly troubled, and borderline delusional — at the same time friendly, somebody you kind of felt sorry for, if you will."
The Luka Magnotta website contains photos as well as rants about media propaganda, the problems with the judicial system and cyber stalking.
In response to what he refers to as haters and stalkers on the internet, Magnotta writes: "I have no obsession with the limelight — the reality is, I refuse to give interviews and I have turned down countless interviewers and media requests to appear.… Having appeared in magazines/films years ago does not constitute an unhealthy obsession with the limelight. Most people who spend all their time online belittling others probably have no life as is evident."
A man by the same name also authored an online post called "How to disappear completely and never be found." The article shares a six-step process for escaping and shedding one's identity.
The article cautions that making a decision to disappear is "not an undertaking to be entered into lightly" and says "a minimum of four months is really necessary to successfully carry out the heroic actions necessary to leave your old life behind."
Online searches for Luka Rocco Magnotta turn up numerous sites where it is alleged that Magnotta killed kittens and posted video of it online. He denied the allegations, which haven't been proven.
Montreal police spokesman Ian Lafrenière said Wednesday he would not substantiate internet rumours about the suspect.
"We don't conduct our investigations via social media," he said.
Related on HuffPost:
Interpol Wanted Profile
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 8:22 pm Updated: 06/06/2012 12:27 pm