The gruesome murder trial of a former Canadian porn actor accused of killing and dismembering a Chinese student is underway, with a judge warning potential jurors to brace for "shocking and disturbing" evidence.
Luka Rocco Magnotta sat in silence with his eyes mostly closed at what's expected to be a lengthy jury selection for his trial in Montreal.
The 32-year-old is accused of using an ice pick to stab his 33-year-old victim Lin Jun to death in May 2012 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 near garbage outside an apartment along a busy highway.
Lin's severed hands and feet were sent through the mail to federal political parties in Ottawa and to two schools in Vancouver. The head was found in a Montreal park months later.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Magnotta was arrested in Germany in June 2012 and extradited following an international manhunt after he fled Canada.
Judge Guy Cournoyer told potential jurors they'd be confronted with evidence likely to be "shocking and disturbing, which could be upsetting".
Magnotta has pleaded not guilty to five charges including first-degree murder, committing an indignity to a body, criminally harassing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and mailing obscene and indecent material.
A total of 1,600 potential jurors gathered at court for a process expected to last several days as they're whittled down to 12 with two alternates.
The lurid nature of Magnotta's alleged crimes have set up the prospect of one of the most sensational criminal trials in Canadian legal history.
The media have called Magnotta "Canadian Psycho" because of the soundtrack from the movie American Psycho which was playing in the background of the video showing him allegedly butchering his victim.
