TORONTO — 2018 · Serial Murder

The Toronto Gay Village Murders

SolvedSources: ALast updated: 14 October 2026

Between 2010 and 2017 eight men disappeared from around Church and Wellesley, Toronto's LGBT village. Although the community long warned that the cases might be linked, police initially dismissed the idea of a serial killer. In January 2018 a 66-year-old landscaper was arrested; most of the remains were found in planters at a property where he worked. He pleaded guilty to eight first-degree murders in January 2019 and was sentenced to life without parole for 25 years. Most of the victims were immigrants of South Asian or Middle Eastern origin. A 2021 independent review found systemic discrimination in Toronto Police missing-person investigations and made 151 recommendations.

Date: 2018
Place: Church and Wellesley, Ontario, Canada, Toronto, CA
Category: Serial Murder
Case Status: Solved
Coordinates: 43.6655, -79.3810 ↗

Timeline of Events

2010The first disappearance from the Church and Wellesley area was reported.
18 January 2018A landscaper was arrested for two murders.

29 January 2019The perpetrator pleaded guilty to eight murders.
April 2021An independent review found systemic discrimination; the police chief apologised.

Sources

Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.