Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton, who brought female victims to his pig farm during a crime spree near Vancouver in the late 1990s and early 2000s, has passed away after being assaulted in prison. The Correctional Service of Canada confirmed that Pickton died from injuries sustained during an assault involving another inmate at Port-Cartier Institution on May 19, 2024. He was 74 years old.
Robert Pickton, a notorious serial killer from Canada, is known for taking female victims to his pig farm and leaving their remains there. His case gained international attention due to the large number of women who went missing in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside during that time. The investigation into Pickton began in 1997 when his name first surfaced as a suspect in the disappearances of sex workers and drug addicts abandoned on the margins of society.
The remains or DNA of 33 women were found on Pickton's pig farm, with some reports suggesting he may have killed up to 49 women. During his trial, it was testified that Pickton strangled his victims and fed their remains to his pigs. Health officials once issued a tainted meat advisory to neighbors who might have bought pork from Pickton's farm due to concerns about human remains in the meat.
The Correctional Service of Canada launched an investigation into the assault on Pickton, with a 51-year-old inmate currently in custody for the attack. The service expressed its condolences to the families of Pickton's victims and acknowledged that his case had a devastating impact on communities in British Columbia and across the country, particularly Indigenous peoples.
Pickton was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with a maximum parole eligibility period of 25 years. The investigation into his crimes took over 20 years due to botched investigations, systemic bias, leadership issues, and fragmented police structures in the Metro Vancouver area.
The name of Robert Pickton first surfaced as a suspect in the disappearances of women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in 1997. The victims were primarily sex workers and drug addicts abandoned on the margins of society, and their cases were often overlooked by law enforcement due to societal stigma.
Pickton's death marks the end of a long-running investigation into one of Canada's most notorious serial killers. The impact on his victims' families and loved ones cannot be overstated, as they have been waiting for answers and closure for many years.
