Magnotta ordered held pending extradition

[June 13, 2012]  BERLIN (AP) -- A Berlin court has ordered the suspect in the slaying and dismembering of a Chinese student in Montreal be held in pre-extradition custody as his likely return to Canada edges closer, authorities said Wednesday.

Berlin state court spokesman Tobias Kaehne said the court decided at the end of last week that there was enough evidence to keep suspect Luka Rocco Magnotta behind bars pending extradition.

"That means that he must now remain in custody until a possible extradition to Canada," he said.

Magnotta and his attorney had to be informed of the decision before it could be announced to the public.

Berlin state prosecutors now must formally request the German Justice and Foreign Ministries to sign off on the extradition, said prosecutors' spokesman Martin Steltner.

"We hope it will go quickly," he said.

Magnotta, 29, has said he will not fight extradition, though it is still possible for his defense attorney to raise objections.

Magnotta's court-appointed lawyer, Evelyn Ascher, has declined comment.

Even if the extradition is uncontested, authorities say it could still be up to two weeks before they are finally able to return Magnotta to Canada where he faces charges of murder, defiling a corpse and using the mail system for delivering "obscene, indecent, immoral or scurrilous" material.

Magnotta, a porn actor, is suspected of killing and dismembering student Jun Lin before sending some of his body parts to Canadian political parties and schools.

Investigators say Magnotta killed Lin and posting a video online showing him having sex with the dismembered corpse. Police also say the video shows him eating parts of the victim's body.

Magnotta fled Canada first to Paris, and was then caught last week at an Internet cafe in Berlin where he was reading about the international manhunt for him. A cafe worker recognized Magnotta from newspaper reports and flagged down passing police.

Lin's torso was found two weeks ago in a suitcase at a garbage dump in Montreal, outside the apartment building where he is thought to have been killed. Police said a foot and hand were also mailed to two Vancouver schools. His head is still missing.

His family is calling for the suspect to be extradited back to Canada as soon as possible so that justice can be done and bring consolation to the family.

[Associated Press; By DAVID RISING]

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