Robert Pickton Begins Appeal of 2nd-Degree Murder Convictions

by Jarrett Martineau | March 30, 2009 at 12:05 pm
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Robert "Willie" Pickton is appealing his conviction on 6 counts of second-degree murder for which he is currently serving "a life sentence in prison with no parole for 25 years".

Pickton began the appeal on Monday in the BC Court of Appeal.

He initially faced 26 charges of first-degree murder, however, the trial judge "separated the charges into two trials to simplify the process".

A second appeal is being filed by The Crown, who "would like Pickton convicted of first-degree murder, while the defence wants a retrial on second-degree murder charges."

If Pickton is granted a new trial, Crown prosecutors would aim to have him face all 26 counts for first-degree murder.

Serial killer Robert Pickton began his appeal of six counts of second-degree murder in the B.C. Court of Appeal on Monday.

About a dozen relatives and friends of women who went missing from the Downtown Eastside protested outside the courthouse, and attended the opening day of the appeal.

Pickton is currently serving a life sentence in prison with no parole for 25 years for the six murders.

The Crown is also appealing Pickton's acquittal of first-degree murder.

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sara star
The 58-year-old pig farmer from Port Coquitlam, B.C., was arrested in 2002 and had been charged with first-degree murder in the six deaths.

...Because jury deliberations (were) secret, Canadians may never know exactly how the jury came to its decision.

... one possible explanation for the verdicts is that jurors felt that there may have been other people involved and that someone else may have planned the killings.

"What we can learn is that since they acquitted this man of first-degree murder, they weren't satisfied that the evidence showed that he planned and deliberated these murders," defence lawyer Peter Ritchie told reporters.

It was the defence's theory that Pickton knew about the bodies on his farm but did not kill the women and did not put them there, Brown said.

The Crown had alleged Pickton lured women from the drug-infested Downtown Eastside to his farm and murdered them, butchered their corpses and disposed of their remains.


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sara star
  Pickton was already known to police for his wild parties thrown on his property under the guise of a registered charity called the Piggy Palace Good Times Society. The non-profit society had an official mandate to "organize, co-ordinate, manage and operate special events, functions, dances, shows and exhibitions on behalf of service organizations, sports organizations and other worthy groups." But according to court evidence these events were little more than wild rave parties complete with Downtown East-side prostitutes, who were the favourite target of Pickton.

Pickton was nabbed as part of an investigation into illegal firearms at the property owned by Pickton. Police later obtained a second court search order as part of the larger BC Missing Women Investigation. This was a result of some personal items belonging to a missing woman being found on his property.

Police would later comb every square inch of the pig farm property and others associated with Pickton in search of evidence. Forensic analysis conducted by specialists was very slow and methodical. Evidence of his crimes was hard to nail down as it is alleged that Pickton fed his victims to his pigs. It is also been uncovered that Pickton may have combined human flesh with ground pork from his farm, and later given out to friends and visitors to the farm.


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jazzyzazzy

yuk but it has to be said! inncent  til proven guilty.Just hope they get the real killer if it wasnt him.

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