Robert Pickton: The Pig Farmer Who Became Canada’s Most Notorious Serial Killer
Few cases in Canadian history are as gruesome and shocking as that of Robert Pickton, the pig farmer-turned-serial killer who preyed on vulnerable women from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
Operating out of his massive pig farm in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Pickton is believed to have murdered at least 49 women, though investigators suspect the number could be much higher. His preferred method of disposing of bodies—feeding them to his pigs or grinding them into meat—added a horrific layer to his already disturbing crimes.
His case remains one of the worst serial killing sprees in Canadian history, exposing massive police failures, a broken justice system, and a disregard for marginalized victims.
This in-depth report covers:
Pickton’s early life and background.
How he lured victims to his pig farm.
The brutal murders and how he disposed of bodies.
His arrest and trial.
The legacy of his crimes and their impact on Canada.
Who Was Robert Pickton?
Early Life and Family Background
Robert William Pickton was born on October 24, 1949, in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. He and his two siblings grew up on a pig farm, which would later become the site of some of the most gruesome crimes in Canadian history.
Pickton’s upbringing was far from normal:
His father, Leonard Pickton, was distant and rarely involved in family life, leaving the farm under the control of his domineering mother, Louise Pickton.
Louise was known to be harsh, unhygienic, and emotionally abusive. She forced her children to work long hours on the farm, often wading through mud and animal waste.
The Pickton home was notoriously filthy, filled with junk, animal carcasses, and rotting food.
The children were socially isolated, with Robert developing a fear of outsiders and a lifelong struggle with basic hygiene and social interactions.
From a young age, Pickton displayed antisocial and disturbing tendencies:
He struggled in school, eventually dropping out at the age of 14 to work full-time on the farm.
He developed a deep fascination with death and slaughter, often spending hours in the farm’s butchering room, where pigs were killed and processed.
He was known for mutilating animals, a behavior often seen in violent offenders before they escalate to killing humans.
Despite his odd behavior, Pickton was not seen as a serious threat—just a quiet, awkward farmhand who lived a strange and isolated life.
The Murders: How Pickton Became Canada’s Worst Serial Killer
Between 1997 and 2001, dozens of women vanished from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, a neighborhood known for poverty, addiction, and sex work. Many of these missing women were:
Sex workers.
Drug users.
Homeless or struggling with mental health issues.
Pickton specifically targeted the most vulnerable, knowing that police wouldn’t take their disappearances seriously.
How He Lured His Victims
Pickton’s pig farm became a hub for criminal activity, where he and his associates:
Hosted wild parties, known as “Piggy’s Palace”, attracting bikers, sex workers, and drug dealers.
Lured women with offers of drugs, money, or shelter.
Promised victims that they could stay at his farm if they had nowhere else to go.
Some women were picked up in Vancouver and taken to the farm under false pretenses.
Once the women were on the farm, they were never seen again.
What Happened to the Victims?
Inside his makeshift slaughterhouse, Pickton would:
Drug or intoxicate the women to make them defenseless.
Strangle or stab them in the butchering room.
Dismember their bodies, using the same equipment he used on pigs.
Dispose of remains in horrific ways:
Feeding them to his pigs.
Grinding body parts in a meat processor and mixing them with pork meat.
Dumping remains in garbage bins that were later sent to local landfills.
His methods made it extremely difficult for investigators to recover complete remains, leading to many women being declared missing without a trace.
How Many Women Did He Kill?
Pickton confessed to killing 49 women, bragging that he wanted to make it to 50 but got caught.
Police officially linked him to at least 33 women, but many believe the true number is much higher.
Several women who were last seen in the Downtown Eastside between the mid-1990s and early 2000s were never found, leading to speculation that they were completely disposed of on the farm.
Police Failures: Could Pickton Have Been Stopped Sooner?
One of the biggest scandals surrounding Pickton’s case was how long it took police to catch him.
Despite numerous warnings, tip-offs, and missing person reports, law enforcement failed to act for years.
Key Failures by Police:
1997: Pickton Was Arrested for Attempted Murder
A sex worker escaped from the farm after being attacked by Pickton.
She was stabbed multiple times, but survived and reported him to police.
Charges were dropped because authorities believed she was an unreliable witness.
1999-2001: Multiple Reports Were Ignored
Informants told police that Pickton was killing women.
A former worker claimed to have seen body parts in freezers.
No action was taken.
2001: Over 20 Women Were Missing, but Police Took No Action
The disappearances continued, but authorities failed to investigate properly.
Families of missing women pleaded for help, but were ignored.
It wasn’t until 2002 that investigators finally searched Pickton’s farm, uncovering the grisly truth.
The Arrest and Shocking Discoveries
In February 2002, police executed a search warrant on Pickton’s farm related to illegal firearm possession.
What They Found:
DNA and remains of multiple women.
Personal belongings of missing victims.
Freezers filled with unidentified human remains.
A gun with a sex worker’s handcuffs attached to it.
The discoveries were so horrifying that officers had to undergo trauma counseling.
Pickton was immediately arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder.
Trial and Sentencing
Pickton’s trial began in 2007, five years after his arrest.
Key Details of the Trial:
He was charged with 26 counts of first-degree murder.
The prosecution had overwhelming forensic evidence, including DNA from 33 different women.
He showed no remorse, often smirking in court.
He admitted to killing 49 women to an undercover officer in jail.
Verdict:
Convicted of 6 counts of second-degree murder.
Sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Although charged with only 6 murders, police believe he killed many more.
Final Thoughts: The Horror of Robert Pickton
Robert Pickton stands as one of the most sadistic and horrifying serial killers in Canadian history.
His complete lack of remorse, gruesome disposal methods, and police failures make his case one of Canada’s greatest tragedies.
Even in prison, Pickton has never admitted guilt or shown remorse, remaining a haunting figure in Canada’s true crime history.
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