Pickton Denies Knowing Victims In Courtroom Playback
Posted January 24, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
He doesn’t remember. And he didn’t do it.
That’s Robert Pickton’s story and he’s sticking to it.
As the third day of testimony in Canada’s biggest serial killer case got underway in New Westminster, B.C. Wednesday, the jury heard more from a tape of a lengthy interrogation with the cops’ number one suspect.
Pickton, who now faces 26 first degree murder charges in connection with the disappearance of prostitutes and drug addicts from Vancouver’s east side, was only facing two counts when cops grilled him in a marathon 11-hour session in 2002.
When confronted with what appeared to be irrefutable DNA evidence found from bodies buried on his pig farm and blood smears located on the walls of his home, Pickton remained coy.
“That don’t mean I did it,” he replied testily when asked if the blood belonged to victim Mona Wilson. “I didn’t do anything, I don’t know her … I don’t know her face or anything else.”
When police told the obscure pig farmer he had became a bigger celebrity than the Pope or Princess Diana because of the case, Pickton showed true shock. “I’m in the paper today?” he asked.
There are other revelations from the long ago recording. The accused admitted to owning a .22 calibre gun, which he claimed he used only to kill the animals on his farm.
And he admitted finding a bloody axe in one of the cars he often rented out as part of a side business. But he denied it had originally belonged to him.
“I don’t remember any one of these, I really don’t, I’m telling you the honest truth,” Pickton protested when cajoled that he would likely recall the women he allegedly killed.
“Take me any which way you want, you could drag me up and down the road here and that still doesn’t make me remember anything.”
But he did take time out to occasionally comment on the appearance of some of them.
There was even a poignant moment in the playback, where Pickton maintained he wished he was no longer living.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he said repeatedly. “I mean I can’t help you any more than that but I can, if I take my life for anyone of those people I would do so.”
Pickton is being tried for just six of the murders. The last 20 will come in a subsequent proceeding to ease the burden on the jury hearing his case. They’re expected to be knee deep into the trial for at least a full year.
Excerpt from Pickton videotape between the suspect and RCMP Staff Sgt. Bill Fordy
(Content may be disturbing. Reader discretion advised)
Fordy: Well, I tell you what though, if you were the guy that killed all 50 of those girls you’d remember them. So I’ll tell you what, one thing I, one thing I’ll say is I’ve talked to a lot of killers, And you do remember those heightened things cause they’re important things in your life. So if that was the case, then you would have remembered them.
Pickton: I don’t, believe me I don’t.
Fordy: Unless you’re in an absolute frenzy or something.
Pickton: I don’t remember any one of these; really I don’t honestly, I’m telling you the honest truth.
Fordy: That’s all I want, I want you tell me the truth, I appreciate that.
Pickton: I’m telling the honest truth. I am telling you that. Anything about this inhaler and everything else I don’t know nothing about this.
(A segment of the video the jury heard Tuesday contained Fordy telling Pickton that Sereena Abotsway’s asthma inhaler had been found on the farm. A few minutes later, Pickton begins talking about his gun, a .22. He tells Fordy he shouldn’t be talking about because his lawyer is not there).
Pickton: But I shouldn’t be talking about that. That’s, that’s for the lawyer. . . you could drag me up and down the road here and that still doesn’t make me remember anything. I remember dates, I remember this, I remember that, remember faces or whatever but I don’t remember any of these people really. Really, honestly I don’t. Like you can link me up with them, I’m charged, you can do whatever you want to do with me, that still doesn’t make me a murderer, just because but I don’t know ’em and as you guys can link whatever onto me I can’t help that because that’s your privilege. I got nailed to the cross, I’m just a plain little farm boy, I’m just myself but again I don’t know it would change very much if I had to do the whole thing over again, I’m myself. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for living. And ah, you know, if I can, I’ll take my life for any one of those people just to, just to have them alive. So . . . sorry.
Fordy: Just shake my hand OK, I want to make a deal with you here right now OK. It’s OK Rob, don’t apologize for anything, don’t apologize for who you are, OK. We just shook hands alright. We’re gonna make a deal, you and I. OK.
Pickton: I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.
Fordy: You don’t need to apologize to me ever again. Alright because I accept you for who you are, I don’t want you to change anything who you are. We’re going to make a deal, you and I, right now.
Pickton: I’m really sorry, I mean I can’t help you any more than that. But I can, if I take my life for any one of those people, I would do so.
Fordy: Thank you for telling me that Rob.
Pickton: Any one of them, just so that . . .
Fordy: You don’t know what’s gonna happen Monday. All you know right now is yes, you are a big media celebrity.
Pickton:Yeah, no kidding.
Fordy: You are bigger than the Pope, you’re bigger than Princess Diana, you’re just like (expletive!!) Bin Laden. You know you’re on the front page of every paper in the country today. Every one.
Pickton: In the paper?
Fordy: Everybody knows who you are right now.
Pickton: In the paper today? They put me in the paper?
Fordy: Absolutely. This is done, you are over, ok. Only one thing left Rob; that is for me to decide what kind of person you are because there is irrefutable DNA evidence that you are responsible for taking these girls.
Pickton: You mean I’m in the paper too, today?
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