TORONTO, CANADA — A Canadian graduate student and criminal profiler said she tried to warn Toronto police about a serial killer almost a year before they arrested landscaper Bruce McArthur.
Sasha Reid, a Ph.D. candidate in applied psychology at the University of Toronto, told CTV News that she was building a missing persons database as a project when she noticed a connection between three cases in the city’s Gay Village.
Related: The Men Who Escaped Alleged Serial Killer Bruce McArthur — Even 1 Tied To His Bed!
McArthur was arrested on January 18 and has been charged with the murders of six men so far.
Police found the remains of at least six people on the property of a home where McArthur, 66, stored his work equipment for his landscaping company.
Using victim data, Reid, who has been studying serial killers for over a decade, created a criminal profile of the killer. Her profile said the killer would be a man with a blue-collar job, a history of violence, and no college degree, according to the Toronto Star. She even predicted that the killer would be disposing of the remains of his victims in or near their home.
McArthur had a violent past that included an assault with a metal pipe in 2003. He has no education beyond high school.
A very fair and balanced assessment. Serial homicide cases are exceptionally difficult to solve. Community cohesion and action in the face of perceived threats can help significantly. https://t.co/QsBNxku27F
— Sasha Reid (@TheReal_DrReid) February 28, 2018
But Reid also got some key parts of the profile wrong: She predicted that the killer would be around 30 years old and a person of color.
Related: Mindhunter: Does Serial Killer Profiling Really Work?
Reid said that she called the police in July 2017, spoke to a detective for about 25 minutes about her profile and said that he seemed “very receptive” to receiving information. She said that the detective told her that the rumors had been circulating for a while about a serial murderer targeting the gay community.
A Toronto Police spokesperson would not confirm the name of anyone who had come forward with information.
Police, who faced criticism for not doing enough to investigate concerns from members of the LGBT community, launched an investigation called Project Prism to investigate the disappearance of two of McArthur’s alleged victims.
Related: “I’m Going To Be A School Shooter”: FBI Was Warned About Nikolas Cruz
According to a police spokesperson, the investigators received thousands of tips.
Recommended For You:
Watch Now: Soap Opera Star Thom Bierdz Paid The Ultimate Price For Trying To Help His Troubled Younger Brother
Watch Now: Janet’s Dreams Of A Life Larger Than Her Small Town Are Cut Short In The Most Horrific Way Possible
Read more:
Main photo: Sasha Reid (left) and Bruce McArthur (right) [CTV News (screenshot)]
The post Grad Student Claims She Told Police About Toronto Serial Killer A Year Ago appeared first on CrimeFeed.