Advocates, victims’ families oppose destroying Robert Pickton evidence

There’s a push from advocates and families of victims who were alleged to have been murdered by serial killer Robert Pickton for the RCMP to pause its push to destroy or return thousands of pieces evidence from the investigation.

Lorelei Williams is among those calling on the BC RCMP to hold off after its application was submitted. Her cousin, Tanya Holyk, was one of Pickton’s victims.

“Now my question is, are they destroying all that evidence and there’s some evidence in there that should not be destroyed by the RCMP, it should not be destroyed?” Williams asked, speaking through tears.

She spoke at a news conference Monday alongside lawyers, victims’ families, and missing and murdered women’s advocates. She and others say they want to have some of the personal items taken into evidence returned to victims’ loved ones.

“I don’t know what my family would want to do with the evidence, exactly, but I know that in our culture, there is certain things that you do with clothing, with jewelry, with remains,” she said.

“To just not even be given that option. You know, whatever First Nation they’re talking to or working with might be a different culture than my own.”

Pickton was found guilty in 2007 of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without a chance of parole for 25 years in the deaths of six women who disappeared from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. 

When the Supreme Court of Canada upheld his sentence, first-degree murder charges involving 20 other women were stayed because Pickton was already serving the maximum sentence. 

The group rallying Monday sent a letter to the federal public safety minister, the commissioner of the RCMP, B.C.’s attorney general, and the solicitor general to call on “each to take immediate steps to preserve Pickton evidence.”

“These women had a lot of friends in the Downtown Eastside who would be more than happy to come in and identify belongings that are there in the evidence lockers or warehouse or wherever they are,” said Sarah Jean de Vries, a woman who lost her mother of the same name.

“There’s no reason for them to say it has no value, when these were human beings who were loved by the people who cared for them deeply.”

‘All possible evidence has been captured and retained’: BC RCMP

Meanwhile, the RCMP says it is not authorized to keep property indefinitely.

“In light of the recent press conference by Justice For Girls that included some of the victims’ families, we would like to clarify the ongoing legal applications and court processes with respect to the exhibits held by police in connection with the Pickton investigation,” the BC RCMP said in a statement Monday.

“First, we acknowledge that this investigation and subsequent trial has impacted many Canadians, none more so than the families of the victims. Their loss is immeasurable and irrevocable.”

The BC RCMP says the process it is undertaking is “required by law and is for the intended purpose of returning property to the rightful owners, where applicable, or for the disposal of items not claimed.”

“Throughout this process we have been working closely with the victims’ families to return their loved ones’ belongings as well as local First Nations to ensure disposal is done in a culturally sensitive way. This consultation is ongoing and is not something that we can elaborate on at this time,” the statement continued.

It claims the disposal would not affect future prosecution of Pickton since “all possible evidence has been captured and retained.”

“Ultimately, the disposition of property must be decided by the courts and we await that decision,” it added.