MONTREAL – The search for Luka Rocco Magnotta — accused of murder after the grisly discovery of a torso whose severed foot and hand were mailed to the Conservative and Liberal Party offices in Ottawa - has extended around the world, after Interpol put the slaying suspect on its international list of wanted persons.

The alert from the international police organization came after a Canada-wide warrant had been issued Wednesday for Magnotta.

Thursday afternoon, a warrant for Magnotta’s arrest was issued at the Montreal courthouse. It accuses him of second-degree murder by causing the death “of an unknown person,” a Criminal Code charge that carries a life sentence upon conviction.

It is unusual for indictments to not identify the victims of a homicide, but in this case it appears Montreal police have an idea who the victim was but have yet to officially identify the remains. The victim’s family lives outside of Canada and investigators reportedly are having difficulty locating them.

Residents of the apartment building who were shown a photo of a man the police believe was the victim described him as an Asian man in his 30s.

In the warrant, Magnotta also is charged with committing an “indignity to the body of the human remains (of) an unknown person.”

Montreal police backtracked Thursday on claims they made this week that Magnotta had dated Karla Homolka, one of Canada’s most notorious sex killers. Police officials clarified Thursday that they were aware of the many rumours posted on the Internet, but had no proof to substantiate those stories. In 2007, Magnotta came forward to news media in 2007 to deny that he had dated her, although many at the time suggested he was the one who started the rumours, to gain attention.

Late Wednesday, CTV News reported that a note had been found in the box containing the severed foot. The note allegedly said that a total of six body parts had been distributed through the mail, and warned that the person responsible would kill again.

A video purporting to show Magnotta stabbing a man repeatedly on a bed has been circulating online and was sent to The Gazette. The Gazette has been unable to confirm that this is the same video that police received. The Gazette has not been able to confirm whether the video was staged.

Police have obtained a disturbing video of the crime and are taking steps to have it removed from a website where it was posted, The Gazette has confirmed.

Investigators are seeking the public’s aid in locating the 29-year-old Magnotta, who may also go by the names Eric Clinton, Kirk Newman or Vladimir Romanov.

“We really need the public’s help on this,” said SPVM spokesman Ian Lafrenière. The assistance of residents in the area where the body was discovered had also helped the investigation advance quickly.

Magnotta is said to be a stripper and a porn star. The suspect was not previously known to police, Lafrenière said.

A headless, limbless torso was discovered in a suitcase with a heap of garbage Tuesday at Place Lucy and Decarie Blvd. in Montreal’s Snowdon neighbourhood. About the same time Tuesday, an employee of Conservative Party of Canada headquarters in Ottawa opened a package that contained a severed foot. A second parcel containing a hand was later located at a Canada Post sorting facility in Ottawa.