Investigative journalist, Justin Ling, was one of the first journalists to seriously and methodically look into the disappearances of several gay men from Toronto’s Gay Village neighbourhood. As he retraced investigators' steps, convinced there was evidence of a serial killer, more men would go missing, and police would continue to deny that there was a threat to the community. On January 18, 2018, Bruce McArthur, a landscaper, was be arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder. In February 2019, he was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of eight men. Ling’s extraordinary book retells the riveting and tragic story of the McArthur murders. Based on more than five years of in-depth reporting, this is also a story of police failure, of how the queer community responded, and the story of the eight men who went missing and the lives they left behind. In telling that story, Justin Ling uncovers the latent homophobia and racism that kept this case unsolved and unseen.

Justin Ling talks about his gripping book, Missing From the Village: The Story of Serial Killer Bruce McArthur, the Search for Justice, and the System That Failed Toronto's Queer Community, with freelance journalist, JP Larocque, revealing how police agencies across the country so often fail to treat missing persons cases seriously.

About this event’s guests:
Justin Ling
JP Larocque

Photo of the author is courtesy of Evan Aagaard.

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Justin Ling: Missing From the Village