Canada body parts victim's head identified
2012-07-05 07:55
Montreal — A human head found in a park belongs to a Chinese student who police say was dismembered by a Canadian porn actor, authorities in Montreal confirmed on Wednesday.
The head of Jun Lin was the last body part still missing since he was killed and dismembered in May.
Luka Rocco Magnotta is accused of dismembering his lover Lin and mailing the body parts to Canadian political parties and schools. He pleaded not guilty to murder charges last month.
Lin's head was the only remaining missing body part until Sunday, when Lemieux said investigators found it in Park Angrignon after the major crimes unit received a tip. The park is a few kilometres south of Magnotta's apartment.
"It had been there for quite some time, but we won't go into details, partly out of respect for the family and friends of the victim," said Lemieux.
"What is important is what we were looking for has been found and the rest of the investigation can continue."
Packages
Montreal police spokesperson Robert St-Onge said police now believe that they have recovered all of Lin's remains. He said the family, which has been seeking closure, has been informed.
Investigators say Magnotta, aged 29, posted a video online showing him having sex with the dismembered corpse. A second, unedited version of the video seen by police shows him eating parts of the body. Police say Magnotta and Lin were in a relationship.
The case became known when a package containing a severed foot was found at Canada's ruling Conservative Party headquarters on 29 May. That same day, a hand was discovered at a postal facility, addressed to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Lin's torso was found in a suitcase at a garbage dump in Montreal outside Magnotta's apartment building.
About a week later, a missing foot and hand were found mailed to two schools in Vancouver. Police said notes were included in most of the packages but declined to say what they said.
Magnotta, who fled to Europe before the body was discovered, spent a few days partying in Paris before moving on to Berlin, where he was caught last month as he read stories about himself at an internet cafe.
Jury trial
He did not contest his extradition from Germany and arrived in Montreal last month on a Canadian military aircraft.
Lin's family arrived in Montreal last month and attended a memorial service last week. Lin, aged 33, studied computer science student at Montreal's Concordia University.
Magnotta has opted for a jury trial and is expected to have a preliminary hearing next March.
Along with a first-degree murder charge, Magnotta is charged with defiling Lin's corpse. He is also charged with harassing Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and members of Parliament, and publishing and mailing obscene material.
- AP
