Accused serial killer Bruce McArthur did landscaping at another property near where remains found

Alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur did landscaping work at a building down the road from the property where police recovered the remains of at least six people, according to two former tenants.

"He would work on the lawn, take care of flowers, planters, and stuff like that," said Frederic Bisson, who lived in an apartment building on Mallory Crescent in Toronto's Leaside neighbourhood a decade ago. "I'm really shocked … he was really calm and quiet."

Bisson's roommate at the time confirmed that he, too, remembers seeing McArthur work on the property, but he never spoke to him.

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The company that owns the apartment building says McArthur was never on the payroll, but a representative told CBC Toronto "it's possible that tenants hired him to do work."

Toronto police have been camped out at a house down the road for the past three weeks.

McArthur started doing landscape work for the couple who lives at the Mallory Crescent home in exchange for equipment storage 10 years ago.

On Thursday, police revealed that investigators have discovered the remains of at least six people in planters from the property, including those of Andrew Kinsman.

McArthur, 66, is charged with five counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Kinsman and four other men: Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Dean Lisowick and Selim Esen.

Police expect there will be more charges. As of Friday, investigators had searched five of the 15 planters seized from McArthur's clients.

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News of what investigators discovered on Mallory Crescent has left Bisson's mind spinning.

He says it made him think about some work McArthur did after a storm left part of his apartment building's property flooded in the summer of 2008.

"He was around after that with planters, not rocky ones … but big plastic, dark black planters," Bisson said.

"All these new planters were installed alongside our building."

Bisson says McArthur also dug up an area damaged by the flooding and replaced the grass. 

"I was like, no, it's impossible to think that he would do anything there." 

Police would not confirm whether they are looking to speak with possible former clients of McArthur's at the apartment building.

On Friday, investigators were still digging under a tent set up in the backyard of the house on Mallory where they found the remains.

Police say they'll suspend digging over the weekend.