The killers wanted to send a message, police say. So after killing the man, they left his body parts conspicuously strewn around Ontario's cottage country.
Townsfolk made the grisly discoveries during walks on Saturday morning around two towns about 100 kilometres apart. Police believe the remains were dumped at the sides of roads, and the victim was killed the night before.
The body parts "certainly weren't located off the beaten path, so to speak," said Ontario Provincial Police spokesman Constable Peter Leon. He said the remains were found near a subdivision in Oro-Medonte township near Orillia, and almost 100 kilometres north, in a ditch at Lake of Bays (just outside Huntsville).
Coroners soon confirmed the body parts belonged to the same man, but identification is proving more problematic. "It's going to be somewhat difficult, there are still body parts that are missing at the present time," said Constable Leon.
He wouldn't speak to the details, but one police source said the victim's head and torso are yet to be accounted for.
Police sources discounted widespread speculation that the body parts belonged to an alleged lieutenant in a Montreal crime family. Paolo Renda, the 70-year-old brother-in-law of Vito Rizzuto, hasn't been seen since disappearing from Montreal this month amid fears there is a war being waged against one of Canada's most notorious organized-crime families.
"The age of the victim has not been determined as of yet. The identity has not been determined either," Constable Leon said yesterday.
He said the investigation is still in its early stages.
Asked how much of the corpse had been discovered, he said, "I can't provide specifics - it could compromise the ongoing investigation."
He did say that residents of the areas where the remains were discovered have no reason to fear for their safety.
The OPP is "working round the clock" on the case, he added.
In Montreal, police say they continue to search for Mr. Renda, who was recently released from prison. His wife called them after finding his car Thursday near the family home with the doors unlocked, windows rolled down and the keys still in the ignition.
The Rizzutos and their associates have been targeted in a series of hits lately.