Toronto police are appealing to the public for more information about a man accused of killing three people in Scarborough in a grisly triple murder that involved a crossbow.

Two men and a woman were killed and a witness was sent to hospital with serious injuries in an attack at a residence near Lawndale and Argo roads on Aug. 25.

Police said Monday that the woman and one of the men were found in a garage next to the home, while the other male victim was found in the driveway.  

Autopsies conducted Friday and Saturday determined that the woman died of ligature strangulation, while the male victim who was found in the garage died from a crossbow bolt stab wound to the neck. The victim who was found in the driveway died of a single arrowhead stab wound to the neck, police said.

Speaking with reporters at a news conference Monday, Det. Sgt. Mike Carbone declined to specify whether the two men were killed with the same weapon.

“I can say that a crossbow was seized from the scene. Because this is currently before the courts I’m not going to distinguish between the two methods of how these individuals were murdered,” Carbone said.

The victims in the case have not been identified so far because of a publication ban.

Following the attack, police arrested a 35-year-old suspect at the scene. He and a witness were both taken to hospital where they were treated for unspecified injuries and later released.

Police seeking information about suspect

The 35-year-old man has since been charged with three counts of first-degree murder. Police said Monday that they believe there are people who have information about the suspect but have yet to come forward to police.

“I’m hoping that my appeal here today in reaching out to anyone who may have communicated with this individual on the 25th or even prior to the 25th, I would like to speak to them,” Carbone told reporters.

He said police are particularly interested in speaking with anyone who had contact with the suspect between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 am on Aug. 25.

He said police are looking to speak with any of the suspect’s coworkers, but declined to say where he worked. Carbone also said that the suspect may have recently attended a local university and that investigators are interested in speaking with anyone who may have had contact with him in that context.

Carbone acknowledged that the triple killing is “very, very unusual” and said investigators are still pouring over evidence to try and piece together the motive.

“The two crime scenes are still being examined by our forensics people,” Carbone said. “Certainly still a ways to go for this investigation.”

Public was ‘never in danger’

During the news conference, Carbone also addressed the matter of a second scene in downtown Toronto that was investigated in connection with killings on the day of the murder.

Police were called to a condo tower at 218 Queens Quay at the Harbourfront to secure a suspicious package. It was later confirmed by police that there was a link between the murders and a package found in a unit on the 14th floor of the condo tower.

Carbone said Monday that “certain items” were found in the unit, but offered few details.

“It certainly now makes up part of this investigation and that’s about as far as I’ll go with that,” he said.

However he said that the items had posed “no danger to any members of the public.”

Brett Ryan of Toronto has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder. He is expected to make another court appearance on Sept. 2.

Anyone with information about Ryan or his whereabouts on the day of the killings is being asked to contact homicide investigators at 416-808-7400 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).