MONTREAL — Police have named stripper and gay porn performer Luka Rocco Magnotta, 29, as the prime suspect in the dismemberment murder of a Montreal man. The victim's torso was discovered Tuesday morning inside a suitcase next to a garbage dump.
Commander Ian Lafrenière of the Montreal police told reporters Wednesday morning that "[Magnotta] is our number one suspect" and that "the suspect and the victim knew one another," and asked the public's help in finding Magnotta, who sometimes uses the aliases Eric Clinton Newman and Vladimir Romanov.
Authorities also confirmed on Wednesday that the severed foot mailed to the Conservative Party of Canada headquarters in Ottawa did indeed belong to the victim.
The package containing the foot was opened by Jenni Byrne, the 2011 campaign manager for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Fred DeLorey, director of political operations, told authorities that Byrne examined the package and "saw the blood and smelled the odor and made the decision to call police."
A second package containing the victim's hand was later discovered by investigators at the Ottawa Postal Terminal, where it was addressed to be delivered to the Liberal Party of Canada.
According to the Montreal Gazette, police have obtained video of the grisly murder and have declared Magnotta's second floor apartment residence in Snowdon, closely located to where the victim's torso was found, a crime scene.
Police said an autopsy of the victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, will be conducted to determine how he was killed and if he was already dead before being dismembered.
Magnotta, who was romantically linked to Canadian serial killer Karla Homolka in 2007, got his start in porn doing webcam shows in Los Angeles at the age of 20. In a 2010 interview with NowPublic.com, he reflected on his career in adult and offered insightful advice to those looking to follow in his footsteps.
"This is a great business and you can make a lot of money, however, you have to realize that after age 30 your career is basically over," he told the site. "Have a backup plan for when the party is over, because no one can stay young forever. This has been my biggest issue in life.
"Fortunately, I find criminal law very fascinating and so I have met a lot of lawyers and I am in school studying law," Magnotta revealed. "I also find psychology fascinating."
