TORONTO -- An alleged serial killer who faces murder charges in the deaths of eight men with ties to Toronto's gay village has had his case put over to the end of January.

Bruce McArthur made a brief appearance in court Wednesday where his next hearing was set for Jan. 29, when his pre-trial discussions are set to continue.

The 67-year-old self-employed landscaper is set to stand trial in January 2020 after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing late last year.

The Crown says it expects the trial to last three to four months.

Toronto police arrested McArthur in January 2018 and eventually charged him with eight counts of first-degree murder.

The charges are related to men who went missing from the gay village between 2010 and 2017.