MONTREAL - In this chain of depraved events orchestrated by a disturbed mind, it turns out that the severed human foot delivered to Tory headquarters was only the latest link.
CAUTION: GRAPHIC CONTENT MAY DISTURB SOME READERS.
Before that, someone repeatedly stabbed a young man with an ice pick. While both killer and victim lay naked, he dismembered the corpse and committed sexual and cannibalistic acts on it.
That same person apparently videotaped the gory scene and posted it on the Internet. The video is now being reviewed by Montreal police, who are investigating a case that has shocked the country.
A man by the name of Luka Rocco Magnotta is wanted in connection with a three-step crime: a killing, a dismemberment and a mailing of body parts to Ottawa. He is believed to be from Toronto and to have repeatedly used aliases and changed his name over the years.
His new name, Luka Rocco Magnotta, has a prolific presence in the darkest corners of the Internet. For nearly two years, it has been notorious among animal-rights activists looking for a man who tortured and killed cats and posted videos of it online.
He is also a low-budget porn actor.
His online presence is much vaster, however, than bisexual porn videos. Magnotta is listed as a model. He has been romantically linked to sex-killer Karla Homolka — a rumour that he has vehemently repudiated and others have shrugged off.
He is an avid author of online articles.
One article written in 2009, titled "How to Completely Disappear and Never Be Found," shares a six-step process for escaping and shedding one's identity. Another offers tips on how to get into the porn business.
A Facebook page belonging to a self-described model with the same name list a variety of personal heroes. They include pop star Madonna and two Russian leaders: Vladimir Putin and Joseph Stalin.
"There is such things as Monsters, Demons and Ghosts," says a quote typed onto that page.
"They live inside of us, and sometimes they win."
Police are now on the hunt for a suspect and trying to determine what demon might possibly have possessed a man to commit the acts alleged to have been committed in Montreal.
Their key target is 29-year-old Magnotta.
He has also gone by the names Eric Clinton Newman and 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."
The geographic epicentre of their investigation is a grimy apartment building in Montreal's west end.
Magnotta was renting Apartment 208 in the brick mid-rise, by the bustling Decarie Expressway. Behind that building, a man's torso was found Tuesday in a locked suitcase, buried in a pile of garbage.
On the same day, a foot was found in a package opened at Conservative headquarters and a hand was found at an Ottawa postal warehouse — the latter package addressed to the Liberal party.
The building manager told The Canadian Press that Magnotta had been living there for about four months. In the manager's words, he seemed like a nice guy.
Police in masks were combing through the blood-soaked apartment Wednesday, having zeroed in on that particular unit from which a rotten stench was drifting out, says a building resident.
The neighbour said police were showing neighbours pictures of two men — the suspected victim and the homicide suspect.
The packages in Ottawa came from a common source. They carried parts from the same male victim, and they were both mailed from Montreal.
Police shared a few new details about the case Wednesday.
"The suspect and victim knew each other," Montreal police Cmdr. Ian Lafreniere told reporters. "It isn't linked to organized crime."
It apparently took a few days for anyone to find a body part. A resident in the building described the scene in the trash-filled laneway behind the complex.
"I saw the suitcase and I was tempted to go get it," said Richard Payette, 60. "It didn't look too damaged. I said, 'Maybe I'll go down and get it.' But I changed my mind."
The grisly discovery was made later, by someone else living nearby.
Police were milling about the second-floor apartment Wednesday, where there were still traces of blood and, reportedly, still some body parts stored. Payette said the door of Apartment 208 was left open for part of the day, and the smell of rotten meat was drifting out into the hallway.
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," said the manager, Eric Schorer.
Police said Magnotta has no criminal record.
What isn't clear is why body parts were mailed to Ottawa, including a foot received at the offices of the Conservative party and a hand found at a Canada Post warehouse.
Finding him might not be easy.
"When making the decision to disappear, it is very important to understand that this is not a process that can be successfully accomplished overnight," said the online disappearance tips, penned under Magnotta's name.
"For best results under normal circumstances, a minimum of four months is really necessary to successfully carry out the heroic actions necessary to leave your old life behind.
"This is certainly not an undertaking to be entered into lightly."
-With files by Jonathan Montpetit, Andy Blatchford and Alexander Panetta
Related on HuffPost:
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
|
| @ 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 |
|
| @ 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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CP | By Peter Rakobowchuk and Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press Posted: 05/30/2012 8:13 am Updated: 05/31/2012 12:52 am