Robert Pickton: How the infamous 'pig farm killer' died and what's happened since 2002
More than 23 years have passed since police raided a pig farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C. and subsequently uncovered one of Canada's most horrifying crime scenes.
This article contains graphic content that might not be suitable for some readers.
The farm belonged to Robert Pickton, who would later be identified as one of the country's most notorious serial killers.
On February 6, 2002, officers initially arrived at Pickton's property to investigate reports of illegal firearms. What they found instead launched a massive investigation that linked Pickton to the disappearances of numerous women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
Pickton was eventually charged in connection with the murders of 26 women, sending shockwaves across the country.
Nearly a quarter-century later, Pickton, dubbed the "pig farm killer," continues to make headlines in Canada.
Here's a closer look at where he is now and how the grisly case has evolved since his arrest.
Who is Robert Pickton?
Born in 1949, Robert William "Willie" Pickton grew up on a pig farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C.
According to The Toronto Star, his early years were spent tending to animals and working long hours on the farm.
As the area around the farm began to urbanize, Pickton and his siblings sold off much of the family's land for development, retaining only 6.5 hectares, as noted by The Canadian Encyclopedia.
In adulthood, Pickton continued living on the property in a trailer, running a modest livestock operation. He was described by those who knew him as socially isolated and exhibiting unsettling behaviour.
A 2002 Globe and Mail report stated that Pickton was often seen with his older brother, David. The two were widely known in the Port Coquitlam community for throwing wild, unauthorized parties on the farm.
They went on to formalize their parties through an organization they called the Piggy's Palace Good Times Society.
What was the Piggy's Palace Good Times Society?
In 1996, the Pickton brothers established the Piggy's Palace Good Times Society. The federally registered charity claimed to support community service groups by hosting events like dances and concerts.
According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, the gatherings quickly drew complaints from neighbours about excessive noise, drug use, and disorderly conduct.
Some parties reportedly attracted up to 1,700 guests, including bikers and sex workers from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
By 2000, the City of Port Coquitlam had ordered the shutdown of Piggy's Palace.
What were Robert Pickton's crimes?
On February 6, 2002, police executed a search warrant at the Pickton pig farm after receiving reports about illegal firearms on the property. Both Robert and David Pickton were arrested on weapons charges and later released on bail.
While officers did recover several illegal and unregistered guns, they also uncovered disturbing evidence linked to several missing women. What began as a firearms investigation quickly escalated into one of the largest and most complex crime scenes in Canadian history.
The search of the farm stretched on for nearly two years. It involved multiple police units, including a task force investigating the disappearances of approximately 50 women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside dating back to 1983. Investigators eventually found the remains or DNA of 33 women on the property. The evidence collected included personal items, human remains, bones, and genetic material.
According to the RCMP, investigating officers employed techniques used by first responders during 9/11 to recover the bodies.
Robert Pickton was subsequently dubbed the "pig farm killer" after reports emerged that he had allegedly disposed of human remains by feeding them to pigs or using a meat grinder. According to the BBC, these claims were central to the horror surrounding the case.
In March 2004, B.C. health officials issued a public warning that meat from the farm may have been contaminated with human remains. Then-Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, called on anyone in possession of frozen pork meat products from the Pickton farm to turn them in to police.
While in custody, Pickton confided to an undercover RCMP officer that he had killed 49 women and had hoped to make it an even 50.
The shocking scope of the crimes and the chilling nature of the evidence cemented Robert Pickton's place as one of Canada's most infamous serial killers.
Who were Robert Pickton's victims?
Robert Pickton was convicted for the second-degree murders of Marnie Frey, Mona Wilson, Andrea Joesbury, Sereena Abotsway, Brenda Wolfe and Georgina Papin.
In 2007, he was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years — the maximum penalty under Canadian law.
There were later attempts to charge him with the deaths of another 20 women, but the charges were stayed by the Crown as he was already serving the maximum possible sentence.
According to Global News, additional suspected victims include Janet Henry, Mary Ann Clark, Diana Melnick, Cara Louise Ellis, Tanya Holyk, Andrea Borhaven, Sherry Irving, Helen Hallmark, Cynthia Feliks, Kerry Koski, Inga Hall, Sarah Jean de Vries, Angela Jardine, Jacqueline (Jackie) McDonell, Wendy Crawford, Jennifer Furminger, Tiffany Drew, Dawn Crey, Debra Jones, Patricia Johnson, Yvonne Boen, Heather Chinnock, Heather Bottomley, and Diane Rock.
Pickton primarily preyed on women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, a community marked by poverty, addiction, and marginalization. Many of his victims were sex workers, and a significant number were Indigenous women.
As CBC reported, some also struggled with substance use or mental health challenges.
Police were later heavily criticized for their handling of the case. Families of the missing women accused law enforcement of dismissing early warning signs and ignoring the victims' disappearances because of their backgrounds.
A 2012 public inquiry confirmed those concerns, concluding that systemic bias, particularly against sex workers and Indigenous women, contributed to what was described as a "tragedy of epic proportions."
The inquiry found widespread and "blatant failures" by police, who missed multiple opportunities to stop Pickton much earlier.
According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, there were several missed opportunities.
On March 22, 1997, a woman whom Pickton brought to his farm fought back when he tried to handcuff her. Both were seriously injured in the struggle, but she managed to escape. At the hospital, staff found a key in Pickton's pocket that matched the handcuffs on her wrist. He was charged with attempted murder, but the case was dropped after the woman — whose identity remains protected — was deemed an unreliable witness due to drug addiction. Pickton claimed she had attacked him.
In 1999, a woman named Lynn Ellingsen later saw a body hanging in Pickton's slaughterhouse but didn't report it because she feared Pickton and depended on him for money for drugs. That same year, Bill Hiscox, who worked for Pickton, informed police that women's belongings had been seen on the farm. Police were unable to obtain a warrant at the time, as they lacked physical evidence or direct eyewitness accounts.
Where did Robert Pickton serve his prison sentence?
Robert Pickton was sentenced to life in prison in 2007 for the second-degree murders of Marnie Frey, Mona Wilson, Andrea Joesbury, Sereena Abotsway, Brenda Wolfe, and Georgina Papin.
He was transferred to Kent Institution, a maximum-security federal prison located in Agassiz, B.C.
In 2018, Pickton was transferred from Kent Institution to Port-Cartier Institution, a maximum security prison in Quebec.
Is Robert Pickton still alive?
No, Robert Pickton died on May 31, 2024.
He was 74 years old.
How did Robert Pickton die?
Robert Pickton died from injuries sustained in an attack by another prisoner at Port-Cartier Institution. In the days leading up to his death, he was in a medically induced coma and on life support.
According to an investigation released on July 4, 2025, the attack occurred around 5:20 p.m. on May 19, 2024, when a fellow prisoner broke a broomstick and thrust the handle into Pickton's face.
He was first taken to the Centre de santé et de services sociaux de Sept-Îles, then airlifted the next day to Hôpital Enfant-Jésus in Quebec City due to the severity of his injuries.
Pickton died in intensive care on May 31, 2024.
Did Robert Pickton's brother know about his crimes?
According to a 2014 CBC report, David Pickton has maintained that he had no knowledge of sex workers being brought to the family farm or that his brother was committing murders there. He has denied any involvement in covering up the crimes.
In 1992, David was convicted of sexual assault following an incident at a Burnaby construction site in August 1991. According to Global News, he had cornered a woman, fondled her through her clothing, and threatened to rape and kill her. He was fined $1,000 and sentenced to one year of probation.
More than two decades later, in 2015, the victim pursued a civil case. A B.C. Supreme Court jury awarded her $45,000 in damages, including $20,000 in punitive damages, after finding the assault had caused lasting psychological harm.
Despite this, David has never been charged or convicted in connection with Robert Pickton's murders.
Is there a movie about Robert Pickton?
The Pig Farm is a 2011 documentary that explores Robert Pickton's crimes and examines the systemic failures that contributed to the delay of his arrest and conviction.
As of July 2025, the documentary is not available on Netflix Canada but can be purchased through other streaming platforms, such as Apple TV.
The 2023 movie The Pig Farmer, starring Tyrese Gibson, may have drawn inspiration from the Pickton case. However, it is not an official adaptation.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
