A “significant development” is expected in the case of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur as his case returns to a Toronto courtroom on Tuesday morning.

In a news release issued on Monday, Toronto police said the 67-year-old will be appearing in court shortly after 9:30 a.m.

McArthur has been in police custody since his arrest last January, which followed a lengthy investigation into the disappearances of a number of men in the city’s gay village.

He is facing eight counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Andrew Kinsman, Selim Esen, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Dean Lisowick, Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi and Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam.

Investigators believe the men were killed between 2010 and 2017.

The remains of the eight men were found in the backyard of a Leaside home between February and July of last year. The remains were located in planters stowed in the home’s garage and in a nearby ravine.

McArthur did gardening and landscaping work at 53 Mallory Crescent, which is owned by Karen Fraser and Ron Smith.

The couple was forced to live elsewhere for months as officials excavated the property. They have since returned to their home.

A ceremony was held at the home on Jan. 18 to mark one year since his arrest.

McArthur’s trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 6, 2020. The trial is expected to last for three to four months.

CP24’s crime specialist and former homicide detective Steve Ryan said McArthur waiving his right to a preliminary hearing last year was “very significant.”

“He gave up what he was entitled to, which was to sit and listen to the Crown put out some of the evidence so the judge could determine if there was enough evidence for this to go to the Superior Court trial,” Ryan said. “He waived that right, which is very significant in my view because to me it suggested that there may be something in the works, such as a guilty plea, and I do think that is what we are going to see tomorrow.”

“Police would never come out and say there will be a guilty plea because up until somebody says it, it’s never a done deal.”

A conviction for first-degree murder carries a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.