Toronto police say a "significant development" is expected in the case of an alleged serial killer accused of preying on men with ties to the city's gay village.

Bruce McArthur, 67, faces eight counts of first-degree murder.

Ahead of his next court appearance scheduled for Tuesday, police issued a release Monday, saying, "A significant development in this case is expected."

Late last year, McArthur waived his right to a preliminary hearing, opting to go straight to trial.

Toronto police arrested the self-employed landscaper in January 2018 and eventually charged him with eight counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Selim Esen, Andrew Kinsman, Majeed Kayhan, Dean Lisowick, Soroush Mahmudi, Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi, and Kirushna Kanagaratnam.

The charges are related to men connected with the gay village, and went missing between 2010 and 2017.

Police have said they recovered the remains of seven men in large planters at a residential property in midtown Toronto where McArthur worked, while the remains of an eighth man were found in a nearby ravine.