Santa Claus Serial Killer
It was on January 29, 2019, when Bruce McArthur was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 8 people. Crimes committed between 2010 and 2017, which terrorized the gay community of Toronto.
McArthur’s story is that of a man who grew up in a deeply religious environment as a child, which later led to issues and obsessions regarding homosexuality.
The journey of recognizing and accepting this change—since, at the time of his coming out, he was married with children—was difficult but necessary. Even after coming out, he remained married but started frequenting gay clubs and engaging in relationships with men.
In addition to his sexual identity, his professional life also played a crucial role in his balance: the failure and subsequent bankruptcy of his business significantly impacted his already fragile mental state. Along with losing his job and the foreclosure on his house, he also faced separation from his wife and depression.
After receiving treatment, he recovered and found work as a gardener and landscaper, and during the Christmas season, as Santa Claus at a local shopping mall. Standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 220 pounds, he entertained children and visitors with candy and treats, always available for a photo.
The shoppers who saw this Santa Claus had no idea that behind the jolly figure hid one of the most ruthless serial killers of the century.
A lonely man, McArthur lured his victims through gay dating apps or by driving around Toronto in his van, strangling them before dismembering their bodies.
The corpses of the men brutally killed by McArthur were found in the homes where the serial killer had worked as a gardener. Using the pretext of offering free gardening services, he obtained spaces where he could store his equipment, planters, and, tragically, his “prey”: homosexual men, often immigrants with few family ties in the area, making them particularly vulnerable.
Upon his arrest, Bruce McArthur immediately pleaded guilty. However, as a witness who survived an encounter with the “Santa Claus Killer” stated, “He asked me strange questions, and later I realized he was trying to figure out if anyone would miss me if I disappeared. I told him I wasn’t feeling well, so I would leave. There was no life in his eyes.”
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
