Infamous Canadian Serial Killer Robert Pickton Dies After Prison Assault

Robert Pickton, the notorious Canadian serial killer who preyed on female victims from Vancouver's marginalized streets, has died in a hospital following an assault by another inmate. His demise brings closure to some families and highlights the need for addressing systemic issues that allowed his crimes to go unnoticed for too long.

Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton, who terrorized women in the Vancouver area during the late 1990s and early 2000s, has passed away at the age of 74 after being assaulted in prison. Pickton, an inmate at the Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec, died in hospital due to injuries sustained in an altercation with another inmate on May 19.

The Correctional Service of Canada confirmed Pickton's death in a statement, expressing condolences to the victims' families. A 51-year-old inmate remains in custody in connection with the assault.

Pickton's crimes sent shockwaves through Canada and made international headlines. He was charged with the murders of 26 women, but was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with a 25-year parole ineligibility period in 2007.

Police began investigating Pickton's farm in the Vancouver suburb of Port Coquitlam over two decades ago after the disappearance of dozens of women from the city's drug-ridden streets. The remains or DNA of 33 women were eventually discovered on the farm, and Pickton confessed to an undercover police officer that he had killed a total of 49.

During his trial, prosecution witness Andrew Bellwood testified that Pickton strangled his victims and fed their remains to his pigs. Health officials issued a tainted meat advisory to neighbors who may have purchased pork from Pickton's farm, fearing the presence of human remains.

Cynthia Cardinal, whose sister Georgina Papin was one of Pickton's victims, expressed relief at his death, stating that it would allow her to finally move on from the trauma. However, she also criticized Vancouver police for not taking the cases seriously due to the marginalized status of many of the victims.

The correctional service is conducting an investigation into the attack on Pickton, examining whether protocols were followed. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc expressed his sympathies to the families of the victims.

At the time of his sentencing, Justice James Williams described Pickton's crimes as "heinous" and deserving of the maximum possible punishment. The case raised questions about systemic issues within law enforcement and the need to address the vulnerability of marginalized women.

Pickton's confirmed victims include Sereena Abotsway, Mona Wilson, Andrea Joesbury, Brenda Ann Wolfe, Georgina Papin, and Marnie Frey. Their families are now left with the painful task of grappling with his death while seeking solace in the knowledge that his reign of terror has finally come to an end.