BC Missing Women Investigation
The BC Missing Women Investigation is an ongoing criminal investigation into the disappearance of at least 60 women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside from the early 1980s through 2002. The investigation is headed by a task force of members from the RCMP and the Vancouver Police Department.
Many of the missing women were impoverished, drug-addicted sex workers from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Much of the investigation centred on Robert William Pickton and his Port Coquitlam pig farm.
On December 9, 2007, Pickton was convicted of second-degree murder in the deaths of six women:
- Count 1, Sereena Abotsway[1] (born August 20, 1971), 29 when she disappeared in August 2001.
- Count 2, Mona Lee Wilson[2] (born January 13, 1975), 26 when she was last seen on November 23, 2001. Reported Missing November 30, 2001.
- Count 6, Andrea Joesbury, 22 when last seen in June 2001.
- Count 7, Brenda Ann Wolfe,[3] 32 when last seen in February 1999 and was reported missing in April 2000.
- Count 16, Marnie Lee Frey,[4] last seen August 1997.Vancouver Police Missing Persons Case #98-209922.
- Count 11, Georgina Faith Papin, last seen in 1999.
On January 7, 2008 an appeal for a new trial was requested by the Crown to the British Columbia Court of Appeal (BCCA). This was an attempt to convict Robert Pickton on twenty-six counts of first-degree murder. [5]
Judgment by the Court of Appeal on June 25, 2009 did concur with the Crown that errors were made during Pickton’s trial. However, a new trial would not be granted in support of the Crown.[6]
On the same day as the Crown’s appeal was denied, Robert Pickton’s appeal for a new trial was denied, as well. Pickton still has the right to appeal the lower court’s decision to the Supreme Court of Canada. [6]
On July 30, 2010, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered its decision dismissing Pickton's appeal and affirming his convictions.[7] [8]
The RCMP said that it continues to investigate the deaths of missing women, with a task force including 51 staff.[9]
At a press conference on July 30, 2010, RCMP assistant commissioner Al MacIntyre said:
- "There's still 39 outstanding cases of missing women that are being fully examined and pursued. The joint task force remains committed to our promise to continue to investigate the cases of these missing women until we have exhausted all possible avenues.…You have my word on that."[10]
RCMP inspector Gary Shinkaruk of the Missing Women Task Force suggested that at least one other serial killer may be operating in the region: "There's a number of active investigations that we know are homicides that, again, we are not attributing to Pickton, so we are fully engaged in those investigations."[11][12] This includes five women believed to have been murdered in the Mount Pleasant area of Vancouver, and three women murdered in the Fraser Valley.[13]
See also
References
- ^ Fournier, Suzanne; Fraser, Keith; and Jiwa, Salim (2002-02-26). "Daughter phoned daily for 13 years". The Province. http://www.missingpeople.net/cgi-bin/2002/sereen_abotsway-2002.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
- ^ Fong, Petti and Kines, Lindsay (2002-02-26). "Sister trapped by drugs, prostitution". Vancouver Sun. http://www.missingpeople.net/mona_wilson_found_2002.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ King, Gary C. (April 2009). “Butcher”. New York: Kensington Publishing Corp.. pp.325-327. ISBN 0-7860-1934-4
- ^ a b Ministry of Attorney General, “Pickton Trial”. (June 26, 2009) http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/courts/other/pickton/index.htm (June 26, 2009). Retrieved on October 21, 2009.
- ^ "Judgments in Appeals" (Press release). Supreme Court of Canada. 2010-07-30. http://csc.lexum.umontreal.ca/en/news_release/2010/10-07-30.3/10-07-30.3.html. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
- ^ R. v. Pickton, 2010 SCC 32
- ^ Robert Matas (2010-07-30). "Police apologize to Pickton's victims". The Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/police-apologize-to-families-of-picktons-victims/article1657087/. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
- ^ CBC News (2010-07-30). "Robert Pickton won't get new trial: top court". http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/07/30/pickton-supreme030.html. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
- ^ "Other serial killers" (video). CBC—The National. 2010-07-30. http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/other-serial-killers/16ax9mt8b. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
- ^ James Keller and Tamsyn Burgmann, The Canadian Press (2010-07-31). "Appeal denied: Top court rejects serial killer Pickton's request for a new trial". Winnipeg Free Press. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/supreme-court-rejects-new-trial-for-serial-killer-pickton-99621859.html. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
- ^ "Other serial killers" (video). CBC—The National. 2010-07-30. http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/other-serial-killers/16ax9mt8b. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
External links