Police hunt former fab boy in connection with Montreal murder
NEWS / Luka Rocco Magnotta appeared in Toronto magazine in 2005 and 2007
Xtra Staff / National / Wednesday, May 30, 2012
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Police are looking for a Toronto man in connection with a gruesome murder in Montreal. The torso of an Asian male was found in a suitcase in that city on May 29. A human foot was delivered by mail to Conservative Party headquarters in Ottawa the following day. A human hand was later discovered in a postal depot in Ottawa.
 
A video, reportedly of the murder, entitled "1 Lunatic 1 Ice Pick" has been circulating online for some days. Warning: the video is graphic and will likely be disturbing to viewers.
 
Police have issued a Canada-wide warrant for Luka Rocco Magnotta.
 
Magnotta appeared in at least two issues of Xtra’s Toronto sister publication, fab magazine. In 2005, Magnotta, who identified himself as Jimmy, told fab he hoped to become a police officer. "I don't want to do traffic tickets," he said. "I am thinking vice or homicide." He also said, "I got a mean dick. Me and my buddies made a few videos."

Fab boy photographer Tony Fong says he remembers photographing Magnotta.

"I remember his dark hair and that he was kind of good looking, compared to some of our other fab boy models at the time," says Fong. "I think he said that he had recently lost a lot of weight and he told me he wanted to get into modelling. He really didn't seem more off the wall than any of the other fab boys at the time."

 

Magnotta trail leads to racist website
Scorce recounts dating Luka Magnotta
Details emerge about Luka Magnotta




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Reader Comments


 
Strange case
The guy actually said he wanted to be a homocide cop? Bizarre...Oh and the second body party was addressed to the Liberal Party CBC is now reporting.
J. Kennee, Calgary Alberta
05/30/12 5:06 PM EST
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Lame
I think it's lame and disrespectful to the victim and his family/friends (and not to mention disturbing) that PTP is encouraging people to check out the video that is reportedly of the murder.
Alex, Vancouver BC
05/30/12 5:25 PM EST
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Ed's note
Hi Alex, thanks for your comment. I wouldn't encourage anyone to watch that video, but I wouldn't want to decide for anyone that they can't either. It's very disturbing, but it's germane to the story.
Matt Mills, Toronto Ont
05/30/12 5:29 PM EST
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Okay
Thanks for the reply, Matt. I hear what your saying, but I still disagree. I think you can mention the video, but it is unnecessary to provide the link. If you didn't provide the link you would be neither encouraging, nor stopping anyone from doing their own internet search for video, but you would be respectfully reporting the news rather than sensationalizing it.
Alex, Vancouver BC
05/30/12 5:55 PM EST
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Ed's note
Hi Alex, I've removed the link. Those who really feel the need to see the video can search for it.
Matt Mills, Toronto Ont
05/30/12 5:58 PM EST
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Thank you
Thanks Matt.
alex, Vancouver bc
05/30/12 6:02 PM EST
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DON'T WATCH
I've seen the video and as Matt has already pointed out its INCREDIBLY DISTURBING! I do NOT recommend searching out this video. Seriously... I worked for a company that worked on contract with the coroners office and I've seen some pretty horrific things in my time but this.... DO NOT WATCH IT!
Kris, Toronto ON
05/30/12 6:53 PM EST
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Canada's Dahmer?
I think the gay community has better be prepared for a nasty backlash. The main stream media is going to go ape shit over a gay cannibal serial killer. Plus, apparently he kills kittens.
dave, here now
05/30/12 7:28 PM EST
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Its started
@ Dave, Its already started on a number of sites... Loads of nasty queer bashing comments on his Facebook and so on... It would seem that people are unable to differentiate a person with SERIOUS mental issues and being gay/bi/curious. But you're right... "be prepared for nasty backlash"
Kris, Toronto ON
05/30/12 7:42 PM EST
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tip of the iceberg?
There may be a spree of unreported bizarre acts leading up to murder and even other murders? A good investigative reporter should start digging. So far its all just titillation. Has Xtra ever won a national newspaper award, if not here's your chance.
Michael F.Pare, Toronto ON
05/30/12 8:12 PM EST
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Poor Kitty
Actually Michael, animal activists have been looking for this guy for 2 years already as he posted a number of videos killing animals (mainly cats) and if there are others... well lets just pray there isn't!
Kris, Toronto ON
05/30/12 8:47 PM EST
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Luka Magnotta's gay connections in Toronto
When he lived in Toronto, Luka Magnotta was a gay male escort and sex trade worker. He performed as a porn actor in low-budget gay porn films that were made in Toronto and later posted on pay-per-view gay porn websites. For example, do a search for "Luka" at www.hisfirsthugecock.com. So, there are a number of gay men in Toronto who have been his sexual partners and are probably freaking out today. It's something to think about at Pride. I wonder if any of his films are on squirt.org, the sex site operated by Pink Triangle Press (Xtra's owner).
Brian, Toronto ON
05/30/12 9:06 PM EST
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Innocent Until Proven Guilty
While this character sounds like a freak with a sketchy history I would remind people that while the allegations are damning and beyond disturbing they still remain allegations. Only a court of law can pass judgment and find him guilty of the facts.
Jamie, Grimsby Ontario
05/30/12 9:39 PM EST
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Freak?!?!
@Jamie - "freak" is putting is a bit mild don't you think? One needs only to watch the first 30 seconds of video (WHICH I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING - IT IS BEYOND DISTURBING) that "freak" would be an UNDERSTATEMENT of the year... And perhaps in the courts he is innocent until proven guilty... HOWEVER, in my eyes he is guilty and wouldn't want to be found left in a room alone with this guy.. Further more... I'd be less concentrated on him being innocent and actually FINDING HIM! If this isn't the guy who did it... Why has he not turned himself in to Police to clear his name? I mean... How could he not know he is wanted when his face is on every major media - print - t.v. - online.... anyway... bit creeped out at the moment...
Kris, Toronto ON
05/30/12 9:50 PM EST
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Similarities with Andrew Cunanan
I just hope that Luca Magnotta doesn't follow the same path as Andrew Cunanan and start a series of killings. There are similarities between Magnotta and Cunanan. Both Magnotta and Cunanan (1) were "men who have sex with men" who tried to make a living off their looks, (2) offered sex to older men for money, (3) had an interest in S&M, (4) exaggerated their importance when talking to others or writing about themselves, (5) used a number of different names, and (6) first murdered in their late 20s after their looks and sexual currency in the gay male community began to fade. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Cunanan
Brian, Toronto ON
05/30/12 10:09 PM EST
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Thanks
I almost feel sick just thinking about that video and will never understand why anyone would ever want to watch something like that. It's not at all educational, and to regard it as entertainment is completely despicable and enormously disrespectful to the victim and his family. Sincere thanks to Alex for your comments, at to Matt for removing the link.
Damian, Auckland New Zealand
05/31/12 1:52 AM EST
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This horrible darkness
needs to be dissipated. I encourage all fairies to mediate on, manifest and spread fabulousness with sunshine, rainbows, lollipops, and unicorns, with bright smiles and blue skies. Dance. Be really Gay! Sing.
Tim, Toronto ON
05/31/12 8:32 AM EST
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I'm thinking
brightly. I don't want this to get into my head too much. Trying to think nice thoughts. This is terrible.
Craig, Toronto ON
05/31/12 11:03 AM EST
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Speaking of Cunanan
I was in Minneapolis in August '97 when he killed his first two victims. What's intrigued me about many gay men and this illusion of body, wealth, sophistication, finest education and a 'party never ends' attitude...it's as if we take all the lies and insanity from being in the closet and project it onto each other after coming out. We're all expecting each other to be these extraordinary, rich, perfect looking guys when the reality is most of us are barely scraping by, alone, not working, and not having much fun. We lie to preserve this fantasy we wish were true: real gay men looked like the str8 jocks used in gay ads, we all knew where and when to meet the guy we want, we knew what we were doing rather than the guy leaving after a month, real friends, a real gay community...where is that? In our expectations. In reality? Gay men only give a shit when it's about them, or someone they're interested in. The rest of us quickly discover the gay world is mean, fair-weathered and too small, even in Toronto it's figured out pretty fast that the selection sucks. So we turn to the fantasy of what we wish were true, and some of these cases go too far. Too much lying, too many delusions of grandeur, and way too much self-interest is what keeps us isolated and disinterested in each other.
Jonathan, Fort Frances ON
05/31/12 3:32 PM EST
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Lets.All.Take.A.Deep.Breath
First, where are his actual parents in all of this? Second, he has left the country and has been seen in Paris! Third, are you all afraid that he might return, as he said there were more bodies in his note... Fourth, Hope they catch him so we can all get back to real life problems, like the student riots in my home town of Montréal (oh - yes I am an English sexy dude). Fin/End.
MontrealInBound, Montréal YesQC
06/04/12 12:39 AM EST
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Effect of first 30 seconds
I came across the video on YouTube and checked the link with the intention of reporting it. I have been to a couple of Coroners conferences and seen many grisly car accident coroners reports with photos in my past career. I also made the mistake of watching a terrorist execution video of a Japanese student in Iraq 4 years ago which disturbed me for a week. I thought I could handle 10-20 seconds checking to see if this was the vid to ban. I can but still...Looking at gay Asian models last night I had flashes of the violent attack intruding So now the creep's video has got into my healthy sexual lust with his sick violence. (glad I didn't watch the rest). That will take a few days to undo. The profound sadness of seeing the cute man of my type in a photo and then flashes of agony and confusion of a bound man in the video - and imagining if it was my dear Asian gay friends, some of whom I have just spent some time consoling after they and their friends watched the WHOLE video. The anger for my Asian bros who are often objectified anyway being defiled in this way. My Asian buddies' friends freaking out about the danger their gay sons might come in. DON'T watch this video - it will fuck you up for days and nights; enrage you; rock your security, make you paranoid for your Asian friends. Also it will put you in perspective of perpetrator and/or victim which is what his sick mind wants as he says "if you don't like it, look in the mirror" - well DON'T look! And street smart any of your friends who trick on Grindr and Craigslist. Get them to text you before and during. And most of all, urge you closeted, shy Asian friends to COME OUT and find safety and security with gay friends. Justin Lin didn't have that gay social circle yet and the predators go for those lonely closeted guys. Thats the answer to the tabloid press and haters too - if you don't let us come out - the predators and low life scum find us and take us out. Don't make it worse for us.
Stephen Emery, Burnaby BC
06/04/12 2:50 AM EST
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Troubling Story All Around
still find this story about Luka Magnatto so sad and deeply troubling. He apparently was treated for psychiatric issues previously. Not sure what his past was like but I suspect very difficult. In the gay world though young men like Mr Magnotta are targeted, exploited and used. Apparently he was into BDSM activities and this is scary. I have always believed that some people into this type of activity have a distorted reality and I've heard horror stories from those who got out of this lifestyle which isn't always safe, sane and consensual. I have empathy for the victim and the accused who both had what appeared to be darker sides to them. But I also have to say that we live in such an evil society where people have become desensitized to some awful things happening out there. Many people watched the snuff video allegedly made by Mr Magnotta and that to me is even scarier. These people who watched such a video have issues of their own. Really troubling if you ask me.
JamieLee, Vancouver BC
06/04/12 2:35 PM EST
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How could you Mrs Dyck-40's Hamilton ditty
Dismemberment as a criminal activity has a long ignoble history in Canada from biker hit men sending body parts (including a penis) to victim's relatives to the notorious case of Evelyn Dick who murdered her husband and child in Hamilton in the 1940's. Luka Magnotta, the accused body parts killer of today has nothing on Mrs Dick. Many people of a certain age in Ontario still remember a dirty little ditty they uttered in high school about the grisly crime: You cut off his legs... You cut off his arms... You cut off his head... How could you Mrs Dick? How could you Mrs Dick? Hard to top that for bad taste in jokes about horrible murders but the Dick one was very popular in its day. And when I mentioned it last Thursday evening at the Crime Writers' of Canada annual banquet, everyone knew it all these years later. Though you needed a little dark humour after all of the serious reflections on this very sick alleged killer's deeds. PS In New England where I grew up we had the story of Lizzie Borden who axed her mother and father to death. She also became a grisly: "Lizzie Borden grabbed an axe & gave her dad 40 whacks/ when she saw what she had done/ she gave her mother forty one". Humour helps us sometimes to deal with the incomprehensible.
james dubro, toronto ontario
06/05/12 6:12 PM EST
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