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Robert William "Willie" Pickton is a pig farmer from the city of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia (BC), Canada who has been charged with the first degree murders of 15 women, and is implicated, as of January 28, 2004 in the murders of up to 31 women, many of them prostitutes from the Downtown Eastside of the city of Vancouver, BC. The government has indicated it plans to bring at least 7 more murder charges against him in the coming year, and new DNA evidence continues to be unearthed at his farm. Pickton was first arrested in February 2002.
Background
Pickton and his brother David Francis Pickton ran a registered charity called the Piggy Palace Good Times Society, a non-profit society whose official mandate was to "organize, co-ordinate, manage and operate special events, functions, dances, shows and exhibitions on behalf of service organizations, sports organizations and other worthy groups." According to investigators, the "special events" convened at Piggy Palace -- a converted building at the hog farm -- were "drunken raves that featured 'entertainment' by an ever-changing cast of Downtown Eastside prostitutes."
Picton first came to the attention of police in 1997 when he was charged with attempted murder. The charges were subsequently dropped. Later, police would search the farm, but found nothing.
In February of 2002 police again searched the farm, this time uncovering DNA evidence matching that of a missing woman. Pickton was arrested on February 22, charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Three months later 3 more charges were added, and shortly after that a sixth and seventh. In October 4 more charges were added, bringing the total to 15.
Excavations at the pig farm are ongoing. Forensic analysis is very difficult because the alleged victims may have been left to decompose or their bodies were eaten by insects and pigs in the farm. During the early days of the excavations authorities brought in massive scoopers and soil sifters to dig out remains.
Pickton is emerging as Canada's worst serial killer. His trial is expected to start in late 2004. He is suspected of murdering several of the 65 women who have disappeared from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in recent years.
Pickton is charged in the murders of the following women (incomplete list):
Victims
Pickton is implicated in the murders of the following women, but charges have not as yet been laid (incomplete list):
