Canadian serial killer, who fed his victims to pigs, killed
Robert Pickton, the notorious Canadian serial killer who strangled his victims before feeding their remains to his pigs, has died in prison following an assault by an inmate. The Correctional Service of Canada confirmed that the 74-year-old succumbed to injuries sustained during an assault on May 19 at Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec. Known as "Willie," Pickton was serving a life sentence for six counts of second-degree murder following his arrest in 2002.
Investigation into Pickton's heinous crimes spanned years
The investigation into Pickton's crimes began over 22 years ago when police started searching his farm in Port Coquitlam, a Vancouver suburb. This marked the start of a lengthy probe into the disappearances of dozens of women, many from Vancouver's most deprived areas. Evidence from the farm revealed the remains or DNA of 33 women. During his trial, Pickton confessed to an undercover officer that he had killed 49 women.
He was caught in 2002
His crime spree took place in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was caught in 2002 and convicted of second-degree murder in 2007 for killing six women, though the remains of 33 women were found on his property. He was sentenced to life in jail, with no possibility of parole for 25 years. His crimes highlighted then-law enforcement agents' disregard for the victims, the majority of whom were Indigenous women involved in the sex trade.
Pickton's death brings relief to victims' families
His death has brought relief to the families of the victims, Cynthia Cardinal, the sister of one of Pickton's victims, said. "This is gonna bring healing for, I won't say all families, I'll just say most of the families," she said. Cardinal added that she can now move on and heal from this tragedy. The victims were among the more than 60 women who disappeared from Vancouver's destitute, drug-infested Downtown Eastside district during the last decade.
