Robert Pickton, a convicted serial killer, shown in an older photo. CTV
Robert Pickton, a 74-year-old serial killer from British Columbia, died after a violent attack in prison. He was serving a life sentence for killing six women when another inmate assaulted him at the Port-Cartier maximum-security prison in Quebec on May 19, 2024.
He was flown to a hospital and died 12 days later in intensive care.
How the Attack Happened
A report from the Correctional Service of Canada gave new details about the attack. It happened around 5:16 p.m. while officers were handing out medicine on the unit. A prisoner assaulted Pickton in the common area.
A guard called for backup. Other officers arrived and managed to stop the attack. But the same prisoner attacked again two minutes later.
This time, he broke a broom handle and hit Pickton in the face with it. Officers stopped him again and moved him to a special holding area.
No Charges Filed So Far
Authorities have not laid any charges yet. Another report named the attacker as Martin Charest, who is also in prison. The Board of Investigation looked into what led to the incident and checked if staff followed prison rules.
Cleaning Supplies a Safety Risk
One major concern was easy access to items like brooms and mops. These can be used as weapons. At the time of the attack, no locked cabinets were available, and there was no list of cleaning items.
The prison has now taken steps to fix this issue.
Investigation Findings and Reactions
An independent observer reviewed the case. The observer praised the panel’s careful work but said some of the post-attack reports were not strong enough. Still, this didn’t affect the main investigation.
Pickton’s Crimes and Conviction
Pickton was convicted in 2007 for the second-degree murders of six women. He was also charged with 20 more murders, but those charges were dropped in 2010. Families and community members were outraged by this decision.
Investigators found the remains and DNA of 33 women on his pig farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C. Pickton once bragged about killing 49 women.
His victims were mostly vulnerable, Indigenous women from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
Inquiry Revealed System Failures
A public inquiry later found serious failures in how police handled the cases of missing women. It said society and law enforcement failed these women again and again.
“Their suffering was ignored,” the report said. “What happened was a deep and tragic failure.”
Aftermath and Calls for Justice
After Pickton’s death, many people—including politicians—spoke out. B.C.’s premier said, “Good riddance,” adding that Pickton targeted those already suffering.
Families of the murdered women said their fight isn’t over. They want to protect evidence, seek justice in court, and hold anyone else involved accountable.
