Robert Pickton, the Canadian serial killer who terrorized British Columbia, is dead. Pickton, 74, succumbed to injuries sustained in a brutal prison assault on May 19.
Pickton was attacked by a fellow inmate at the Port-Cartier Institution, a maximum-security facility in Quebec. The attack, which involved a broken broom handle used as a weapon, left Pickton in critical condition. He clung to life for nearly two weeks before succumbing to his injuries.
Over the years, Pickton has inspired multiple horror films. Those include the recently released films Pig Killer, starring Jake Busey and Squealer, whose filmmakers we interviewed.
Born in 1949, Robert Pickton began his reign of terror in the 1980s after inheriting the family pig farm. He would rape and murder his victims before chopping them up and feeding them to his pigs, sometimes eating the meat himself or serving it to unsuspecting visitors. He and his brother often held parties at the farm, which they registered as part of a charity in 1996 under the name “Piggy Palace Good Times Society.” The parties and events attracted up to 2,000 people at a time. This made it easy for Pickton to hunt his victims.
Pickton was unaware that the farm was being watched. On February 6, 2022, the farm was raided, and he was arrested. Robert was first charged with two murders. By the time he saw a courtroom, there were many more counts of murder added after police found bone segments, a freezer full of human flesh, and the victims’ personal items. He confessed to his cellmate, not knowing the man was an undercover cop, that he had killed 49. On December 9, 2007, the jury returned a guilty verdict in six cases. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.
While some victims’ families have expressed relief at Pickton’s death, a cloud of mystery surrounds the assault. The motive behind the attack by the 51-year-old inmate remains unclear. However, he had a history of violence within the prison system, spending time in solitary confinement for previous assaults. Canadian authorities are conducting a full investigation.
Robert Pickton‘s death marks the end of a horrific chapter in Canadian history. His crimes cast a long shadow over the country, particularly for Indigenous communities who were disproportionately impacted by his violence. While his death may bring some measure of closure to victims’ families, the impact of his actions will undoubtedly continue to be felt for years to come.
