Robert Pickton - The Pig Farm Killer

Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada · 1983

solved Serial killer January 1, 1983

Perpetrator

Robert Pickton

Robert William Pickton (1949-2024) was a Canadian pig farmer from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, who became one of the country's most prolific serial killers. He preyed on vulnerable women, many of them sex workers and drug users from Vancouver's impoverished Downtown Eastside, luring them to his farm. He was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder but was charged in connection with the deaths of 26 women and reportedly claimed to an undercover officer that he had killed 49.

Known Victims

At least 26 total — known victims include:

Sereena Abotsway (29)
Mona Wilson (26)
Andrea Joesbury (22)
Brenda Wolfe (32)
Marnie Frey (24)
Georgina Papin (34)

Location

953 Dominion Avenue, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

Summary

Robert Pickton murdered women, many of them sex workers, on his pig farm and disposed of their remains by feeding them to pigs or rendering them.

Details

Pickton lured women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to his Port Coquitlam pig farm, where he murdered them and disposed of their remains, some believed to have been fed to pigs. Despite years of disappearances, police were heavily criticized for failing to investigate; a 2012 inquiry condemned the response as a failure. He was arrested in February 2002 after an unrelated firearms search uncovered victims' belongings and DNA on the farm. In 2007 he was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life with no parole eligibility for 25 years. He was killed by a fellow inmate in a Quebec prison in 2024.

Background

Robert William "Willie" Pickton was born on October 24, 1949, in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. He and his brother David grew up on the family's pig farm in the suburban Vancouver area. After their parents died, the brothers inherited the property and a substantial amount of land, portions of which they sold for development. Robert continued operating the farm, raising and slaughtering pigs, while the property became known locally as a site for rough parties.

Beginning in the late 1990s, women, many of them sex workers and drug users, began disappearing from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, one of Canada's poorest and most marginalized neighborhoods. Families and advocates raised alarms for years, but the disappearances received limited police attention at the time, a failure later examined in a public inquiry. Pickton frequented the Downtown Eastside and brought women back to his farm in Port Coquitlam.

The Crimes

Pickton lured vulnerable women, often sex workers from the Downtown Eastside, to his pig farm. He murdered them and disposed of their remains on the property. Investigators alleged that he fed some remains to his pigs and disposed of others through rendering and butchering, making forensic recovery extremely difficult. The scale of the disposal methods became one of the most disturbing aspects of the case.

The investigation site at the Port Coquitlam farm became one of the largest and most complex crime scenes in Canadian history. Forensic teams sifted through tons of soil and material over many months. DNA and remains belonging to numerous missing women were eventually identified on the property. Pickton was ultimately charged in connection with the deaths of 26 women, though he reportedly claimed to investigators that the true number was higher.

Investigation and Arrest

Pickton had earlier come to police attention. In 1997 he was charged with the attempted murder of a sex worker who survived a violent attack at the farm, but the charge was stayed. Critics later argued that this and other missed opportunities allowed the killings to continue for years.

In February 2002, police executed a search warrant at the farm related to a firearms investigation and discovered personal items belonging to missing women, prompting a vast forensic operation. Pickton was arrested on February 22, 2002. The ensuing search uncovered DNA, remains, and personal effects linking him to many of the missing women. The case drew international attention to the failures in protecting marginalized women in the Downtown Eastside.

Trial and Outcome

Because of the enormous number of charges, the court severed the case, and Pickton's first trial proceeded on six counts of first-degree murder. The trial began in 2007 in New Westminster, British Columbia. After lengthy proceedings, on December 9, 2007, the jury found Pickton guilty of six counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Sereena Abotsway, Mona Wilson, Andrea Joesbury, Brenda Wolfe, Marnie Frey, and Georgina Papin.

Pickton was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years, the maximum available under Canadian law. The remaining 20 murder charges were stayed by the Crown, as a further trial was deemed unlikely to result in a longer sentence. Appeals, including to the Supreme Court of Canada, upheld the convictions.

Aftermath and Legacy

The Pickton case prompted intense scrutiny of how police handled the disappearances. The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry, led by Wally Oppal, examined the investigation and concluded there had been a "colossal failure" by police and authorities to protect the vulnerable women of the Downtown Eastside. The case became a touchstone in broader Canadian discussions about violence against Indigenous and marginalized women.

Robert Pickton remained one of Canada's most notorious convicted serial killers. He died in 2024 after being attacked by a fellow inmate while incarcerated in Quebec. For the families of the victims, the case remained a source of grief and a symbol of systemic neglect, and it contributed to ongoing advocacy and the later National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Video Coverage

Frequently asked questions

What was the Robert Pickton - The Pig Farm Killer case?

Robert Pickton murdered women, many of them sex workers, on his pig farm and disposed of their remains by feeding them to pigs or rendering them.

Who was responsible for Robert Pickton - The Pig Farm Killer?

Robert Pickton. Robert William Pickton (1949-2024) was a Canadian pig farmer from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, who became one of the country's most prolific serial killers. He preyed on vulnerable women, many of them sex workers and drug users from Vancouver's impoverished Downtown Eastside, luring them to his farm. He was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder but was charged in connection with the deaths of 26 women and reportedly claimed to an undercover officer that he had killed 49.

How many victims were there in the Robert Pickton - The Pig Farm Killer case?

At least 26 victims are associated with this case, including named victims such as Sereena Abotsway, Mona Wilson, Andrea Joesbury.

Where and when did the Robert Pickton - The Pig Farm Killer case take place?

It took place in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada in 1983.

Was the Robert Pickton - The Pig Farm Killer case solved?

This case is recorded as solved.

Sources & further reading

See an error or have an update? Report a correction. We review every request.