Pickton Sentence: Life With No Parole For 25 Years
Posted December 11, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was another emotional 24 hours at the trial of convicted murderer Robert Pickton.
After a day of hearing heart wrenching and emotional victim impact statements from the families of the six women the former pig farmer was convicted of killing, the judge has finally pronounced a sentence most were expecting: life in prison with no chance at parole for at least 25 years.
The Crown had been demanding the extra length, the most it could hope for after Pickton was found guilty only of second-degree murder by a jury on Sunday. His own attorney had suggested that 15-20 might be better, but in the end, the judge had little doubt that the enormity of the killer’s crimes, executed against society’s most vulnerable, mainly prostitutes and drug addicts, meant he deserved to stay in jail as long as legally possible.
The families of Pickton’s victims cheered when Justice James Williams handed the sentence down, a euphoric end to a grueling, emotional day packed with the heart-wrenching victim impact statements.
“Mr. Pickton’s conduct was murderous and repeatedly so,” Williams said. “I cannot know the details of what happened. I do know this: Each of these women were murdered and their remains were dismembered. What happened to them was senseless and despicable.”
Williams could have allowed Pickton to apply for full parole in as little as 10 years. He also referred to the 18 victim-impact statements, “people whose lives have been altered and forever changed by these murders.”
Rick Frey, whose daughter Marnie was among Pickton’s victims, smiled as he left the courtroom with Marnie’s stepmother.
“That’s great, that’s good, that’s what we wanted,” he said. “We didn’t think we’d get that but, yeah, it’s perfect.”
Staff Sgt. Wayne Clary, the former head of the RCMP’s Missing Women’s Task Force whose investigation led to Pickton’s arrest in 2002, said he felt better after Tuesday’s sentencing than Sunday’s second-degree murder convictions.
“It feels fuller than the other day,” said. “It’s what we at the police felt should have been all along and we’re there now. We’re going to move forward and enjoy tonight.”
Pickton leaned forward in the prisoner’s box when the judge offered him a chance to speak but his lawyer, Peter Ritchie, stood up and said the defence had advised him not to because of the upcoming trial on charges Pickton murdered another 20 women.
“So he has nothing to say?” Justice James Williams asked.
“He does,” said Ritchie. “He wishes to speak but he’s accepted advice not to.”
Pickton was convicted of killing Frey, Sereena Abotsway, Andrea Joesbury, Mona Wilson, Brenda Wolfe and Georgina Papin.
