Pickton's FIRST sentence...

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Jury finds Canadian pig farmer guilty of murdering six women

NEW WESTMINSTER, British Columbia (AP) — A jury convicted a 58-year-old pig farmer Sunday of murdering six women, handing him an automatic life sentence but finding that the killings were not planned.

Robert "Willie" Pickton still faces 20 more murder charges for the deaths of women, most of them prostitutes and drug addicts from a seedy Vancouver neighborhood. If convicted on all those charges, he would become Canada's most prolific serial killer.

Police are still investigating the cases of almost 40 other missing women.

The remains of the six women he was convicted of killing were found on Pickton's farm but he denied he was responsible for their deaths.

Pickton listened to the verdict with his head bowed and later smirked at one poinT. He had been charged with first-degree murder in the six killings, but the jury convicted him on a lesser charge of second-degree murder which means they did not believe the killings were planned.

Two sisters of victim Georgina Papin screamed "No!" when the jury foreman first got up and said "not guilty" on first-degree murder. But they later said they were pleased he was convicted on the second-degree charge.

Two jurors, both women, wiped tears from their eyes while the verdicts were read. The jury foreman glared at Pickton as the verdicts were read back by a court official.

A conviction for any murder in Canada carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison and he will be sentenced on Tuesday when the judge will decide when Pickton might be eligible for parole.

During his trial, a prosecution witness Andrew Bellwood said Pickton told him how he strangled his alleged 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.

The jury of seven men and five women took 10 days to reach a verdict. They had the option of finding Pickton guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder or manslaughter or not guilty on any of the six counts.

First-degree murder, which means a murder was planned, also carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison but does not offer parole eligibility for 25 years. The second-degree charge offers parole eligibility in 10 years.

Pickton was convicted of murdering Mona Wilson, Sereena Abotsway, Marnie Frey, Brenda Wolfe, Andrea Joesbury as well as Papin.

"It should have been first degree," said Rick Frey, father of Marnie Frey. "You don't have six murders over that time and not have first degree."

During the trial, Papin's three sisters cried and clutched each other's hands in court while the judge reviewed the testimony of witness Lynn Ellingson. In her testimony, Ellingson said she walked in on a blood-covered Pickton as Papin's body dangled from a chain in the farm's slaughterhouse.

Before the jury started their deliberations on Nov. 30, Judge James Williams reviewed the transcript of a videotape with them in which Pickton is heard telling an undercover police officer that he had planned to kill 50 women, take a break, then kill 25 more.

Family members and friends gathered for a candlelight vigil outside the courthouse after the verdicts.

Marilyn Kraft, mother of one of the victims in the second murder trial Pickton will face, was relieved that Pickton got a life sentence based on the first trial.

"He's going away for life," Kraft said.

[\quote]

source: http://www.courttv.com/news/2007/1210/pig_farmer_ap.html

NOT GUILTY OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER???????????? GIMME A FREAKING BREAK. I wonder what would have happened if the victims were pretty girls from West-Van instead of First Nations and/or sex workers...... NOT impressed at all. Pickton is a SON OF A #%$&$@%*^*. ARGHHHHH.

[Emancipation 2]

I hear you girlie.. and he has to stand trial for another 20 victims at a later date.

I'm discusted the Judge "made an error" and left the door wide open for an appeal.. Men like this should not be allowed to appeal or at least the appeal should be a VERY short time as the information and evidence is OVERWHELMING.. GAH.. I understand that if he does appeal, the 2nd court case will not be allowed to begin until the appeal is finished.. this is going to drag out for a VERY VERY long time.

And like you said.. the victims are those who needed protection and need a voice.. and we are failing them.. big time..

This man does not deserve to ever see freedom again.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I cannot tell you how upset I am about this whole thing. Having read and reread Amnesty International's "Stolen Sisters", and after years of work with First Nation women, I find this sentence a JOKE and yet another humiliation for them. I am pissy, VERY pissy right now.

[Emancipation 2]

I cannot tell you how upset I am about this whole thing. Having read and reread Amnesty International's "Stolen Sisters", and after years of work with First Nation women, I find this sentence a JOKE and yet another humiliation for them. I am pissy, VERY pissy right now.

You are not alone my friend.. if it was one.. maybe two victims.. perhaps the 2nd degree thing MIGHT stand.. NOT in this case.. he was a predator.. and knew exactly what he was doing.. IMO

The poor jurors.. I don't envy them for what trauma they have just endured, listening to all that #######.. but HONESTLY I believe they made a very bad call here.. Hopefully the next trial will nail him for what he is..

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Didn't plan them??? #######??? Was he bringing them over for bacon?

[Emancipation 2]

Didn't plan them??? #######??? Was he bringing them over for bacon?

We are talking 61 women here.. This was no "oopsie"...

This was calculated and cruel...

I don't know whether to blame the Crown or the Jury or the Judge..

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Didn't plan them??? #######??? Was he bringing them over for bacon?

We are talking 61 women here.. This was no "oopsie"...

This was calculated and cruel...

I don't know whether to blame the Crown or the Jury or the Judge..

Ditto to both your comments. this is so fkkkkking upsetting. And if anyone gives me a hard time for playing the race card, so freaking be it - this is racism, plain and simple.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

Didn't plan them??? #######??? Was he bringing them over for bacon?

We are talking 61 women here.. This was no "oopsie"...

This was calculated and cruel...

I don't know whether to blame the Crown or the Jury or the Judge..

He only claims 49, saying that he wanted to kill one more to make it an even 50. That said, you're right. We had a serial killer in Baton Rouge a couple of years ago, just before the DC sniper (who happened to be from Baton Rouge) thing. He only killed like 6 for sure, but it still had all women terrified. I actually lived about 100 yards from the most gruesome scene. Needless to say, my girlfriend at the time was terrified.

These men are monsters and should be disembowled.

[MissStacey 1]

He is such a sick ####.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Didn't plan them??? #######??? Was he bringing them over for bacon?

We are talking 61 women here.. This was no "oopsie"...

This was calculated and cruel...

I don't know whether to blame the Crown or the Jury or the Judge..

He only claims 49, saying that he wanted to kill one more to make it an even 50. That said, you're right. We had a serial killer in Baton Rouge a couple of years ago, just before the DC sniper (who happened to be from Baton Rouge) thing. He only killed like 6 for sure, but it still had all women terrified. I actually lived about 100 yards from the most gruesome scene. Needless to say, my girlfriend at the time was terrified.

These men are monsters and should be disembowled.

Matching barbarism with barbarism lessons the brutality of it, IMO.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

Didn't plan them??? #######??? Was he bringing them over for bacon?

We are talking 61 women here.. This was no "oopsie"...

This was calculated and cruel...

I don't know whether to blame the Crown or the Jury or the Judge..

He only claims 49, saying that he wanted to kill one more to make it an even 50. That said, you're right. We had a serial killer in Baton Rouge a couple of years ago, just before the DC sniper (who happened to be from Baton Rouge) thing. He only killed like 6 for sure, but it still had all women terrified. I actually lived about 100 yards from the most gruesome scene. Needless to say, my girlfriend at the time was terrified.

These men are monsters and should be disembowled.

Matching barbarism with barbarism lessons the brutality of it, IMO.

Yowza! My sarcasm generally seems to fly right by you.

[Emancipation 2]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourinterview/2007/...kton_trial.html

Len did you see that the CBC is taking questions in the discussion re: this trial?? The interview questions are still open if you feel like submitting one.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourinterview/2007/...kton_trial.html

Len did you see that the CBC is taking questions in the discussion re: this trial?? The interview questions are still open if you feel like submitting one.

Cool - thanks for the info sister - I just might!

[Emancipation 2]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourinterview/2007/...kton_trial.html

Len did you see that the CBC is taking questions in the discussion re: this trial?? The interview questions are still open if you feel like submitting one.

Cool - thanks for the info sister - I just might!

No problemo!!

[Mags 112]

I could maybe understand the first one being second degree murder and even the second one at a push, but SIX? Absolutely NO WAY ON EARTH do you accidentally murder 6 women.

Edited December 11, 2007 by Mags