Latest news with #RobertPickton
CTV News
08-07-2025
- CTV News
Report into Robert Pickton's death raises new questions
Vancouver Watch A report into the deadly prison assault on notorious serial killer Robert Pickton confirms grisly details – and raises questions about safety at the institution.
CTV News
08-07-2025
- CTV News
‘It is a warning': Former Pickton warden urges other prisons to learn from murderer's killing
Correctional Service Canada says an unnamed inmate has been injured in what it's calling a major assault at the Port-Cartier Institution located on Quebec's north shore. Patches are seen on the arm and shoulder of a corrections officer in the segregation unit at the Fraser Valley Institution for Women during a media tour, in Abbotsford, B.C., on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck A year after a fatal prison attack on a notorious B.C. serial killer, one of his past jailors is urging corrections officials to heed the findings of an investigation into the incident. The Correctional Service of Canada quietly published the report on a Friday afternoon without distributing a press release, fully accepting the three recommendations stemming from Robert 'Willie' Pickton's death after he was stabbed in the face with a broken broom stick last year. A former warden at the Kent Institution maximum security prison in the eastern Fraser Valley is concerned that the lessons of the past aren't being learned – and that Pickton's death is proof of that. 'This is not the first time somebody has broken a broomstick and used it as a weapon,' said Mark Kemball, who has now retired from decades working in the correctional service. 'What was the policy at the time related to those types of materials, and did (the Corrections Service of Canada) follow them?' He pointed out that unsecured janitorial supplies and equipment endanger prison staff as well as other inmates and urged other facilities to take this as a wake-up call. 'It is a warning to other facilities,' to make sure they have proper protocols around cleaning supplies, but also to ensure their paperwork is up to date, Kemball said. The Board of Inquiry report found the 'structured 45-day casework records for both inmates involved in the incident were not in compliance with policy, despite their importance in the assessment of inmate progress.' Kemball said those reports can be vital in identifying changes in behaviour or conflicts between inmates before they escalate to violence. The BOI made three recommendations, including ensuring next of kin contact information is up to date, since there had been issues reaching Pickton's family after he as attacked in May of last year. The 74-year-old had been serving out his life sentence in the maximum security Port Cartier Institution in Quebec, and died in hospital from his injuries two weeks after the assault. 'All recommendations have been accepted and work is underway to implement them as we work towards making our institutions safer for all of our employees, inmates and visitors,' reads a statement from Corrections Canada. While Pickton is one of the most reviled serial killers in Canadian history – convicted of murdering six women and suspected of killing dozens more –there were expressions of grim satisfaction after his death from his victims' families. No one has been charged in Pickton's death, despite a police investigation by the Sûreté du Québec.
Global News
07-07-2025
- Global News
Robert Pickton was fatally stabbed with broken broom handle, investigation reveals
A report detailing the investigation into the death of convicted B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton at a Quebec prison last year says he was fatally stabbed with a broken broom handle. The fatal assault at the Port-Cartier Institution in May 2024 led to a formal investigation by Correctional Service Canada (CSC), which found that inmates routinely had access to objects that could be used as weapons. The CSC Board of Investigation report says that on May 19, 2024, at 5:16 p.m., Pickton was attacked by another inmate in the common room while medication was being distributed in his unit. 'When the assault started, the Correctional Officer (CO) assigned to the control post requested the assistance of other COs, who quickly intervened and were able to convince the aggressor to stop the assault,' the reports says. Two minutes later, the aggressor grabbed a broomstick, broke the handle, and thrust it into Pickton's face. Story continues below advertisement 'Correctional Officers again intervened, managed to gain (the aggressor's) compliance, handcuffed him, then escorted him to the Structured Intervention Unit,' the report continued. Pickton was airlifted to hospital in Sept-Îles. Due to his critical condition, he was transported to a hospital in Quebec City the next day. He died in the intensive care unit 12 days later. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy At the time of the incident, Pickton was 74 and had been serving a life sentence since 2007 for six counts of second-degree murder. Twenty additional counts of first-degree murder led to a stay of proceedings in 2010. His crimes received extensive media coverage across the country and around the world. Corrections Canada said his security level had been maintained at maximum since his intake assessment in 2008. He had been incarcerated at Port-Cartier Institution since 2018. No criminal charges have been laid in Pickton's death. Inmates had access to cleaning supplies The board was tasked with looking at the 'facts and circumstances' leading up to the deadly assault, as well as 'examining whether policies and protocols were followed, and identifying any recommendations or corrective measures needed.' One of the issues identified was access to cleaning supplies, like brooms and mops, which could be used as weapons. Story continues below advertisement 'Inmates had free access to cleaning items and that there were no functional locking cabinets that could be used to store the brooms or mops on the range, nor was there an inventory of these items at the time of the incident,' the report found. The institution has since taken steps to remedy this issue, according to the report. 'A project is underway to secure the doors of the cleaners' storerooms in unit common rooms to better control access to cleaning supplies,' the report reads. 'Furthermore, a reminder has been issued for special monitoring on the night shift, of materials in unit common rooms.' The reports says there is also now an inventory list of the items in every common room at the prison. Correctional Service Canada is required by law to investigate incidents where an inmate under their care and custody dies or suffers serious bodily injury.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Serial killer who murdered '49' women met excruciating and gory end at hands of fellow inmate
Notorious Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton, who once bragged about murdering nearly 50 women, met an excruciating and gory end at the hands of a fellow inmate while behind bars. An investigation into the 2024 death of the 74-year-old murderer found he was bludgeoned and impaled with a broken broomstick. Pickton had been attacked in the common room of the Port-Cartier Institution, a maximum-security prison in Quebec, on May 19 last year. He died in hospital days later on May 31. He was serving a life sentence for six counts of second-degree murder over crime spree in the late 1990s and early 2000s, in which he fed female victims to animals on his Vancouver pig farm. The n ewly released investigation by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has shed disturbing light on the savage attack and the 'systemic failures' that may have allowed it to happen. Pickton was suddenly assaulted by another inmate at about 5:16pm while inmates were receiving medication inside the unit's common area, according to the report. The inmate was allegedly identified as Martin Charest. Guards quickly rushed in and stopped the attack but just two minutes later, Charest reportedly attacked again, this time with more force. 'The aggressor then grabbed a broomstick, broke the handle, and thrust it into the face of Mr. Pickton,' the CSC report states. The 74-year-old murderer died in a hospital on May 31 after being attacked in the common room of the Port-Cartier Institution, a maximum-security prison in Quebec, on May 19 (Accused serial killer Robert 'Willie' Pickton is shown in an artist drawing from a tape recording played in a New Westminster, B.C. court, February 5, 2007) Officers again intervened and allegedly subdued Charest before escorting him to a secure unit. Nonetheless, Pickton was left bloodied and severely injured. He was then airlifted to a nearby hospital and held in the ICU for nearly two weeks before succumbing to his injuries. No criminal charges have yet been filed in connection to his death. The report also exposed troubling security lapses, including the fact that inmates had open access to cleaning tools like brooms and mops, which could be used as deadly weapons. 'There were no functional locking cabinets… nor was there an inventory of these items at the time of the incident,' the report states. Officials say the issue has since been addressed. An independent observer tasked with overseeing the CSC's internal probe praised the investigators as 'meticulous' and 'professional.' But they also criticized the post-incident reporting as lacking though not enough to derail the investigation. Pickton became one of Canada's most notorious killers. He was a pig farmer from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, who lured vulnerable women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to his farm, where he raped, tortured, and butchered them. Many were Indigenous and living in poverty. Their remains, or whatever was left of their DNA, were later discovered scattered across the property. Pickton was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2007, with the maximum parole ineligibility period of 25 years, after being charged with the murders of 26 women. He was only found guilty of six of the charges with cops claiming it was due to the massive scope and cost of the initial trial, which enraged victims' families and sparked public outcry. He was found guilty of murdering Sereena Abotsway, Marnie Frey, Andrea Joesbury, Georgina Papin, Mona Wilson and Brenda Ann Wolfe. A public inquiry later slammed police and government agencies for a 'colossal failure' in responding to the disappearance of marginalized women. 'The missing and murdered women were forsaken by society at large and then again by the police,' the inquiry concluded. 'The story… is a tragedy of epic proportions.' Police began searching the Pickton farm in the Vancouver suburb of Port Coquitlam more than 22 years ago in what would be a years-long investigation into the disappearances of dozens of sex workers and drug addicts from Vancouver's seediest streets. The remains or DNA of 33 women were found on the farm. Pickton once bragged to an undercover police officer that he killed a total of 49 women. During his trial, prosecution witness Andrew Bellwood said Pickton told him how he strangled his victims and fed their remains to his pigs. Health officials once issued a tainted meat advisory to neighbors who might have bought pork from Pickton's farm, concerned the meat might have contained human remains. Cynthia Cardinal, whose sister Georgina Papin was murdered by Pickton, said Pickton's death means she can finally move on from her sister's murder. 'This is gonna bring healing for, I won't say all families, I'll just say most of the families,' she said. 'I'm like wow, finally. I can actually move on and heal and I can put this behind me.' Vancouver police were criticized for not taking the cases seriously because many of the missing were sex workers or drug users. Canada's correctional service said it was conducting an investigation into the attack on Pickton. 'The investigation will examine all of the facts and circumstances surrounding the assault, including whether policies and protocols were followed,' the service said. 'We are mindful that this offender's case has had a devastating impact on communities in British Columbia and across the country, including indigenous peoples, victims and their families. Our thoughts are with them.'
CBC
07-07-2025
- CBC
Inmate killed B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton with broken broom handle, investigation finds
An investigation report detailing the prison assault that led to the death of B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton says he was assaulted by another inmate who broke a broom handle and thrust it into his face. The board of investigation report released Friday says Pickton was assaulted as medication was being distributed in the unit he was housed in at Quebec's Port-Cartier Institution on May 19, 2024. The report says prison guards quickly intervened and convinced the aggressor to stop the beating, but minutes later he "grabbed a broomstick, broke the handle, and thrust it" into Pickton's face. The board's report says Pickton was taken to a hospital in an ambulance, then airlifted to another facility in Quebec City the next day and admitted to intensive care because of his critical condition. WATCH | Pickton dies after fatal prison assault: Serial killer Robert Pickton is dead 1 year ago Duration 2:04 Robert Pickton had been in hospital since May 19 after being the target of what Correctional Service Canada called a "major assault" at the maximum-security Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec. The 74-year-old B.C. man had been found guilty of murdering six women in the Vancouver area, but had bragged about killing 49. The report says Pickton died on May 31, 2024, and investigators interviewed 35 staff members from the prison and another institution, finding that inmates had free access to cleaning tools including mops and brooms that weren't kept in locked cabinets. Pickton, 74 at the time, had been serving a life sentence since 2007 for six counts of second-degree murder. Twenty additional counts of first-degree murder led to a stay of proceedings against him in 2010. He was held at a maximum security institution since his intake assessment in 2018, and had been incarcerated at Port-Cartier Institution since 2018. The wrong family member was contacted about Pickton's death, according to the report, and investigators were not able to determine if he knew that his designated next of kin had changed their contact information. The board made three recommendations, including for the prison to take action to reduce accessibility to items that are used or transformed for purposes that jeopardize the security of the institution. "A project is underway to secure the doors of the cleaners' storerooms in unit common rooms to better control access to cleaning supplies," the report says. The board's report says no criminal charges had been laid and the Quebec Coroner's office had not submitted any reports to the Correctional Service of Canada at the time the report was written. Another report by an independent observer appointed to ensure the investigation's integrity says Pickton was "violently assaulted" by an inmate named Martin Charest. The observer's report says the board "conducted a meticulous, highly professional and impartial investigation of a sensitive nature," and praised the board for completing the "challenging job on time."
