Robert “Willie” Pickton, the Canadian serial killer infamous for his grisly crimes, has died following an assault in prison. The Correctional Service of Canada confirmed his death at the age of 71, revealing that the attack occurred on May 19 at Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec.
Robert Pickton was serving a life sentence. He was charged in connection with the murders of 26 women and convicted in 2007 for six counts of second-degree murder.
How did Robert Pickton murder his victims?
Robert Pickton, a pig farmer from Port Coquitlam, Vancouver, was at the centre of a chilling investigation that spanned over two decades. His victims were mostly prostitutes and drug addicts.
Mona Wilson, Sereena Abotsway, Marnie Frey, Brenda Wolfe, Andrea Joesbury and Georgina Papin were among about 70 women who had disappeared from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood between 1980 and 2001.
They reportedly fell victim to Robert Pickton's sinister ploys and were lured to his farm with false promises of money and drugs before meeting a tragic end.
The search of his farm revealed the remains or DNA of 33 women, out of the 49 he claimed to have killed, as per a 2008 Guardian report. Investigators also found human remains, including skulls and feet, on his farm. Some witnesses even testified to horrifying scenes, like him cutting up a body in the dead of night.
Gruesome details came up during his trial. Robert Pickton had reportedly bragged to an undercover officer about strangling his victims and feeding their remains to his pigs.
Health officials even issued a warning to those who might have bought pork from his farm, fearing it could contain human remains.
Despite overwhelming evidence, Robert Pickton denied his crimes. He rarely showed emotion during the trial and did not testify. However, in a taped conversation with an undercover officer, he admitted to his deeds, saying he had already killed 49 women and was aiming for a murder tally of 50 victims.
Now, Canada's correctional service has launched an investigation into the assault on Robert Pickton which led to his death.
