Former gay porn star admits killing and chopping up lover
A Canadian former porn star has admitted killing his lover and sending body parts in the post to political figures.
However, Luka Magnotta, 32, pleaded not guilty to five charges related to the 2012 death of Jun Lin, a Chinese university student, including murder.
Magnotta’s lawyer said today he was mentally ill, and the judge said jurors would have to determine his state of mind.
He faces a life prison sentence if convicted on all charges.
Magnotta is accused of murder, committing an indignity to a body, publishing obscene material, criminally harassing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other members of Parliament, and mailing obscene and indecent material.
In May 2012, a package containing a severed foot was found at the headquarters of Canada’s ruling Conservative Party.
The same day, a hand was discovered at a postal facility, in a package addressed to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Lin’s torso was found in a suitcase at a rubbish dump outside Magnotta’s apartment building in Montreal.
Magnotta was eventually arrested in Berlin after an international manhunt.
Investigators also found a video posted online thought to show Lin’s murder.
Magnotta fled to Europe, prompting an international manhunt that ended when he was arrested in an internet cafe in Berlin.
The prosecution may ask the jury to find Magnotta guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter if they cannot prove Magnotta intentionally killed Lin and planned the murder in advance.
The trial is expected to last 4-6 weeks.
