The epilogue of the most significant Canadian crime story in years begins Monday in Montreal with the trial of Luka Rocco Magnotta, accused of slaying and dismembering a Chinese student.
The case made international headlines after the murder and lewd acts involving the victim’s corpse were filmed by the killer and posted online.
Monday marks the start of a preliminary hearing, in which a judge decides whether there is enough evidence to prosecute.
Magnotta faces first degree murder and other charges, including committing indignities to a body and harassing Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Police say the occasional porn actor and escort used an ice pick to stab his 33-year-old victim Lin Jun in late May before carving up his body, sexually abusing the corpse, filming the act and posting the video online.
Days after the killing, Montreal police discovered the victim’s torso in a suitcase by the trash outside an apartment along a busy highway.