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Robert Pickton Murders

SOLVED1978Pickton family farm, 953 Dominion Avenue, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Robert William Pickton (born October 24, 1949) was a pig farmer in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, convicted in December 2007 of second-degree murder in the deaths of six women connected to Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Investigators ultimately linked him to the deaths of at least 26 women, most of whom worked in the sex trade, though most charges against him were later stayed rather than tried.

Pickton and his brother David inherited the family farm after their parents died in the late 1970s and later sold part of the property to developers for roughly C$5.16 million. The brothers also hosted unlicensed parties at a converted slaughterhouse on the property known as Piggy's Palace. On March 23, 1997, Pickton was charged with the attempted murder of Wendy Lynn Eistetter, who told police he handcuffed and stabbed her during an altercation at the farm before she escaped and disarmed him; the charge was stayed in January 1998 after prosecutors determined her testimony was too unstable to secure a conviction. Over the following years, women from the Downtown Eastside disappeared at a growing rate. Police searched the Pickton farm three times without finding evidence, and did not act on a June 1999 tip describing a freezer of human remains in the farmhouse.

On February 6, 2002, police executing a firearms search warrant at the farm found personal items belonging to missing women, and a joint RCMP–Vancouver Police Department task force sealed the property. Pickton was arrested on February 22, 2002, and charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Sereena Abotsway and Mona Wilson. Additional charges followed through 2005, eventually totaling 27 counts of first-degree murder.

Pickton's trial opened on January 30, 2006, in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, where he pleaded not guilty. One charge was dismissed before trial for lack of evidence, and the judge severed the remaining counts into a group of six to be tried first and a larger group to follow. On December 9, 2007, a jury acquitted Pickton of first-degree murder on all six tried counts — in the deaths of Abotsway, Wilson, Andrea Joesbury, Brenda Wolfe, Georgina Papin, and Marnie Frey — but convicted him of second-degree murder on each. He was sentenced on December 11, 2007, to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years, the maximum sentence for second-degree murder in Canada. The British Columbia Court of Appeal upheld the convictions in 2009, and the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously affirmed them on July 30, 2010. The Crown formally stayed the remaining first-degree murder charges on August 4, 2010, since further convictions could not increase Pickton's sentence. Four additional women's deaths were linked to Pickton, but he was never charged in connection with them.

The case prompted the government of British Columbia to convene the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry, chaired by Wally Oppal, to examine why police took years to act on evidence connecting Pickton to the disappearances; the commission's final report was released in December 2012. Vancouver Police Department Deputy Chief Constable Doug LePard later apologized publicly to victims' families for the department's delays. Some victims' children filed a civil lawsuit against the Vancouver Police Department, the RCMP, and the Crown, which was settled in March 2014.

Pickton was held at Kent Institution in British Columbia before transferring to Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec in June 2018, and became eligible to apply for day parole in February 2024. On May 19, 2024, he was attacked by a fellow inmate at Port-Cartier; he died in a Quebec City hospital on May 31, 2024, from injuries sustained in the attack.

Key facts

Victims
Tanya Holyk, Stephanie Lane, Jennifer Lynn Furminger, Mission Jane Doe, Cara Louise Ellis, Dianne Rosemary Rock, Andrea Joesbury, Inga Monique Hall, Wendy Lynn Eistetter, Georgina Faith Papin, Tiffany Louise Drew, Dawn Teresa Crey, Andrea Fay Borhaven, Mary Ann Clark, Jacquelene Michelle McDonell, Angela Rebecca Jardine, Sherry Leigh Irving, Yvonne Marie Boen, Brenda Ann Wolfe, Debra Lynne Jones, Sereena Abotsway, Patricia Rose Johnson, Cynthia "Cindy" Feliks, Diana Melnick, Heather Gabrielle Chinnock, Marnie Lee Anne Frey, Wendy Crawford, Helen Mae Hallmark, Mona Lee Wilson, Heather Kathleen Bottomley, Kerry Lynn Koski, Sarah Jean de Vries
Date
1978
Location
Pickton family farm, 953 Dominion Avenue, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1949-10-24

    Robert William Pickton is born in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, to pig farmers Leonard Francis Pickton and Louise Helene Arnal.

  2. 1963

    Pickton drops out of school; he later works as a meat cutter before joining the family farm full-time.

  3. 1978

    Pickton's father, Leonard Francis Pickton, dies.

  4. 1979

    Pickton's mother, Louise Helene Arnal, dies; the Pickton siblings inherit the family farm in Port Coquitlam and later sell part of it to developers for roughly C$5.16 million.

  5. 1996

    The Pickton brothers register the Piggy Palace Good Times Society, a nonprofit used to host large parties at a converted slaughterhouse on the farm.

  6. 1997-03-23

    Pickton is charged with the attempted murder of Wendy Lynn Eistetter after she tells police he stabbed and handcuffed her during an altercation at the farm.

  7. 1998-01-27

    The attempted-murder charge against Pickton in the Eistetter case is stayed after prosecutors determine her testimony is too unstable to secure a conviction.

  8. 1999-06

    Police receive a tip describing a freezer of human remains at Pickton's farmhouse; the tip is not acted on.

  9. 2002-02-06

    Police execute a firearms search warrant at the Pickton farm and find personal items belonging to missing women; the property is sealed by a joint RCMP–Vancouver Police Department task force.

  10. 2002-02-22

    Pickton is arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, in the deaths of Sereena Abotsway and Mona Wilson.

  11. 2002-04-02

    Three more first-degree murder charges are filed, for the deaths of Jacquelene McDonell, Dianne Rock, and Heather Bottomley.

  12. 2002-04-09

    A sixth first-degree murder charge is filed, for the death of Andrea Joesbury, followed by a seventh for Brenda Wolfe.

  13. 2002-09-20

    Four more first-degree murder charges are filed, for the deaths of Georgina Papin, Patricia Johnson, Helen Hallmark, and Jennifer Furminger.

  14. 2002-10-03

    Four more first-degree murder charges are filed, for the deaths of Heather Chinnock, Tanya Holyk, Sherry Irving, and Inga Hall.

  15. 2005-05-26

    Twelve additional first-degree murder charges are filed, bringing the total to 27 counts.

  16. 2006-01-30

    Pickton's trial begins in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in New Westminster; he pleads not guilty to all 27 counts.

  17. 2006-08-09

    The presiding judge severs the charges into one group of six counts to be tried first and a second, larger group.

  18. 2007-01-22

    The media ban on the case is lifted and Pickton stands trial on six first-degree murder counts, in the deaths of Frey, Abotsway, Papin, Joesbury, Wolfe, and Wilson.

  19. 2007-12-09

    A jury acquits Pickton of first-degree murder on all six tried counts but convicts him of second-degree murder on each.

  20. 2007-12-11

    Pickton is sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years, the maximum sentence for second-degree murder in Canada.

  21. 2008-01-07

    The Crown files an appeal of Pickton's acquittals on the first-degree murder charges.

  22. 2008-01-09

    Pickton's lawyers file a notice of appeal seeking a new trial on the six second-degree murder convictions.

  23. 2009-06-25

    The British Columbia Court of Appeal dismisses the defence appeal and allows the Crown's appeal in part; Pickton's second-degree murder convictions remain intact.

  24. 2010-07-30

    The Supreme Court of Canada unanimously dismisses Pickton's appeal and affirms his convictions.

  25. 2010-08-04

    The Crown formally stays the remaining 20 first-degree murder charges against Pickton, reasoning that further convictions could not increase his sentence.

  26. 2012-11-19

    The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry, chaired by Wally Oppal, submits its final report to the Attorney General; it is released publicly on December 17, 2012.

  27. 2013-05

    Victims' children file a civil lawsuit against the Vancouver Police Department, the RCMP, and the Crown for failing to protect the victims.

  28. 2014-03

    The civil lawsuit is settled, with each child compensated C$50,000, without admission of liability.

  29. 2018-06

    Pickton is transferred from Kent Institution in British Columbia to Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec.

  30. 2024-02

    Pickton becomes eligible to apply for day parole.

  31. 2024-05-19

    Pickton is attacked by a fellow inmate at Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec.

  32. 2024-05-31

    Pickton dies in a Quebec City hospital from injuries sustained in the attack.

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People

  • Robert Pickton

    CONVICTED

    Pig farmer from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. Convicted on December 9, 2007 of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced on December 11, 2007 to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years. Further first-degree murder charges connected to 21 more women were stayed by the Crown in 2010. Died in 2024 after being attacked by a fellow inmate at Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec.

  • Tanya Holyk

    VICTIM

    23 years old; reported missing on November 3, 1996. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Stephanie Lane

    VICTIM

    20 years old; disappeared in January 1997. Her partial remains were found but were misplaced from 2003 to 2010. Pickton was implicated in her death but was never charged.

  • Jennifer Lynn Furminger

    VICTIM

    28 years old; reported missing on December 27, 1999. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Mission Jane Doe

    VICTIM

    Unidentified; her remains were discovered on February 25, 1995. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Cara Louise Ellis

    VICTIM

    25 years old; reported missing on January 21, 1997. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Dianne Rosemary Rock

    VICTIM

    34 years old; reported missing on December 13, 2001. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Andrea Joesbury

    VICTIM

    22 years old; reported missing on June 8, 2001. Pickton was convicted of second-degree murder in her death on December 9, 2007.

  • Inga Monique Hall

    VICTIM

    46 years old; last seen in February 1998. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Wendy Lynn Eistetter

    VICTIM

    Survived a stabbing attributed to Pickton during a March 23, 1997 altercation at his farm; she told police he handcuffed her and inflicted lacerations before she escaped and disarmed him. Pickton was charged with her attempted murder; the charge was stayed on January 27, 1998.

  • Georgina Faith Papin

    VICTIM

    34 years old; reported missing on March 2001. Pickton was convicted of second-degree murder in her death on December 9, 2007.

  • Tiffany Louise Drew

    VICTIM

    27 years old; reported missing on December 31, 1999. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Dawn Teresa Crey

    VICTIM

    42 years old; last seen in December 2000. Pickton was implicated in her death but was never charged.

  • Andrea Fay Borhaven

    VICTIM

    25 years old; last seen in March 1997. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Mary Ann Clark

    VICTIM

    25 years old; disappeared in August 1991. Pickton was implicated in her death but was never charged.

  • Jacquelene Michelle McDonell

    VICTIM

    22 years old; reported missing on January 16, 1999. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Angela Rebecca Jardine

    VICTIM

    27 years old; reported missing on November 20, 1998. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Sherry Leigh Irving

    VICTIM

    24 years old; reported missing on February 22, 1997. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Yvonne Marie Boen

    VICTIM

    33 years old; reported missing on March 16, 2001. Pickton was implicated in her death but was never charged.

  • Brenda Ann Wolfe

    VICTIM

    32 years old; reported missing on April 25, 2000. Pickton was convicted of second-degree murder in her death on December 9, 2007.

  • Debra Lynne Jones

    VICTIM

    42 years old; last seen in December 2000. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Sereena Abotsway

    VICTIM

    29 years old; reported missing on August 22, 2001. Pickton was convicted of second-degree murder in her death on December 9, 2007.

  • Patricia Rose Johnson

    VICTIM

    25 years old; reported missing on January 2, 2001. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Cynthia "Cindy" Feliks

    VICTIM

    43 years old; last seen in December 1997. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Diana Melnick

    VICTIM

    23 years old; last seen in December 1995. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Heather Gabrielle Chinnock

    VICTIM

    30 years old; last seen in April 2001. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Marnie Lee Anne Frey

    VICTIM

    24 years old; reported missing on December 29, 1997. Pickton was convicted of second-degree murder in her death on December 9, 2007.

  • Wendy Crawford

    VICTIM

    43 years old; last seen in December 1999. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Helen Mae Hallmark

    VICTIM

    20 years old; reported missing on June 15, 1997. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Mona Lee Wilson

    VICTIM

    26 years old; reported missing on November 30, 2001. Pickton was convicted of second-degree murder in her death on December 9, 2007.

  • Heather Kathleen Bottomley

    VICTIM

    27 years old; reported missing on April 17, 2001. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Kerry Lynn Koski

    VICTIM

    38 years old; reported missing on January 7, 1998. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Sarah Jean de Vries

    VICTIM

    29 years old; last seen in April 1998. Pickton was charged with first-degree murder in her death; the charge was stayed on August 4, 2010.

  • Doug LePard

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Vancouver Police Department deputy chief constable who, at a press conference, publicly apologized to victims' families for the department's delay in catching Pickton.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Pickton family farm, 953 Dominion Avenue, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

49.2625, -122.7811

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Robert Pickton, a pig farmer from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, was convicted in December 2007 of second-degree murder in the deaths of six women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Investigators linked him to the deaths of at least 26 women in total, and 20 further first-degree murder charges against him were stayed in 2010.
Where did the murders happen?
Pickton family farm, 953 Dominion Avenue, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia.
Who was convicted?
Robert Pickton (Pig farmer from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. Convicted on December 9, 2007 of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced on December 11, 2007 to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years. Further first-degree murder charges connected to 21 more women were stayed by the Crown in 2010. Died in 2024 after being attacked by a fellow inmate at Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in British Columbia

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICRobert PicktonWikipedia · 2026-07-12
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — CBC NewsCBC News · 2026-07-12
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The Globe and MailThe Globe and Mail · 2026-07-12

Record history

First published
JUL 13, 2026