Miami police are looking into whether suspected murderer Luka Magnotta is responsible for an unsolved 2009 killing.
Magnotta is accused of brutally killing and dismembering Chinese exchange student Jun Lin, and was arrested in Berlin earlier this month after an international manhunt. Magnotta allegedly filmed the murder and posted it online.
Now, the Miami Herald reports that local police are probing whether Magnotta may have been responsible for the 2009 death of Omar Laparra, whose dismembered body was found in Biscayne Bay.
"The preliminary look shows the M.O. is different. In the Canadian case, it appeared to be domestic and the killer knew the victim, while in our case, it appears to be random," Sgt. Confesor Gonzalez told the Herald. "Nonetheless, in the interest of being thorough, we will follow up with Montreal police."
Juan Membreno, a close friend of Laparra's, told NBC 6 in Spanish he'd like to confront Magnotta.
"For me, sincerely, I would ask him if he did it or if he didn't do it," Membreno said.
The Miami New Times notes that someone with the username "Luka Magnotta" posted on various Miami-based forums in years past.
In August 2010, someone claiming to be Magnotta posted on Miami Beach 411.
"I just moved to Miami and love it," the poster wrote. "I have been surrounded by haters for years, they come into my life ... see that I have so much more then [sic] them going for me ... they get jealous and try to bring me down. Ive gone through this so many times, people are so fake."
The person claiming to be Magnotta continues, "Instead of them wanting to be my friend or lover they end up becomming [sic] my enemy ... pretty sad for them. Im living my life to the fullest and they can kiss my ass."
UPDATE: The Miami police issued this response on Monday, June 11:
In response to the many inquiries that our office has received regarding any possible connection in the recent Montreal homicide case involving suspect Luka Rocco Magnotta and our case involving victim Omar LaParra. Please note that last week a reporter from Canada called our department and informed us of a homicide in Canada where the victim was dismembered and wanted to know if we had similar cases since they had information that the offender may have visited Miami. Homicide detectives have contacted Canadian authorities and it does not appear at this time that their case is connected to the our case which occurred in June of 2009, and it is apparent at this time that this suspect was not in Miami during this murder.
If new information evolves to the contrary, then the status of the case will be updated.