By Alexandra Mehl, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter HA-SHILTH-SA

On May 31, Robert Pickton, the notorious serial killer who preyed on the vulnerable women of Vancouver害羞草研究所檚 Downtown Eastside, took his last breath.

Convicted of six counts of second-degree murder, he received the maximum sentence under Canadian law.

Pickton murdered Sereena Abotsway, Mona Wilson, Andrea Joesbury, Marnie Frey, Georgina Papin, and Brenda Wolfe. Pickton was charged with 26 counts of murder, 20 were stayed. But he boasted to an undercover cop that he murdered many more, confessing to taking the lives of 49 females.

The DNA of 33 women were found on his farm.

According to a Canadian Encyclopedia article, at least 65 women disappeared from the DTES from 1978 to 2001. Sue Brown, director of advocacy and staff lawyer at Justice for Girls, said that there are potentially 70 women who went missing from the DTES.

In December of 2023, it became public knowledge that the RCMP applied to the court to dispose of 14,000 exhibits of evidence pertaining to the Pickton murders.

According to Brown, the exhibits are from his farm in Port Coquitlam where most of the murders are believed to have taken place.

A letter titled, 害羞草研究所淎 call to preserve evidence in the Pickton case害羞草研究所� was signed by 35 organizations and 10 individuals.

害羞草研究所淭he exhibits were obtained during the investigations into 50+ women who were murdered and disappeared from the Downtown Eastside,害羞草研究所� reads the Justice for Girls letter. 害羞草研究所淭he majority of these missing women are Indigenous and their cases remain unsolved.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淒isposal of the exhibits will quash any remaining hope they have and solidify their perception that their daughters, mothers, sisters and aunties are less important than the space required to keep that evidence.害羞草研究所�

In 2023, Justice for Girls learned the RCMP had begun filing applications to dispose of evidence in 2020 and 2021, said Brown.

害羞草研究所淭here were upwards of an estimated 200,000 exhibits that they had in relation to the missing women害羞草研究所檚 investigations and the Robert Pickton investigation,害羞草研究所� she told Ha-Shilth-Sa.

害羞草研究所淔ive of those applications, to our knowledge, have already been dealt with by the court,害羞草研究所� said Brown. 害羞草研究所淎nd they were done so without many of the family members being aware.害羞草研究所�

To Brown害羞草研究所檚 knowledge, they are fighting for the remaining 14 to 15,000 exhibits.

害羞草研究所淭he majority of these cases, apart from the six that Robert Pickton was convicted of, remain unsolved cases,害羞草研究所� said Brown. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 our belief that those exhibits do retain evidentiary value and they ought to be preserved and the police ought to continue thoroughly investigating those unsolved cases.害羞草研究所�

In January, the court was notified of Justice for Girls interest in 害羞草研究所渁pplying for standing to intervene on the RCMP害羞草研究所檚 application,害羞草研究所� said Brown.

A court date regarding the RCMP application is scheduled on June 26.

Evidence ties into National Inquiry

Lorelei Williams of Skatin and Sts害羞草研究所檃iles First Nations does advocacy work for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Williams, who started a dance group called Butterflies in Spirit, has a missing aunt, Belinda Williams. Her cousin, Tanya Holyk, was among the 20 murders that were stayed in the Pickton case.

害羞草研究所淲e are a dance group of mostly family members of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls,害羞草研究所� said Williams. 害羞草研究所淲e also support families any way that we can.害羞草研究所�

The group travels the world performing, Williams said. Recently, in Mexico they attended workshops where they learned techniques on how to tell the difference between human bones and animal bones.

害羞草研究所淲e dance but we also do other things that will help us support the families here in Canada,害羞草研究所� she said.

After Williams lost her mother she started to experience anxiety attacks.

害羞草研究所淭he only time that I didn害羞草研究所檛 have anxiety attacks was when we were dancing,害羞草研究所� said Williams. 害羞草研究所淭hat was my first exposure to how healing dance really is.害羞草研究所�

Not only that, when the group started working with choreographer Maddie McCallum, they were assigned to learn their traditional dances.

害羞草研究所淭hat itself is healing as well getting reconnected to our cultures,害羞草研究所� she said.

According to a 2023 Ha-Shilth-Sa article, Kellie Little of Nuchahtlaht was last seen in April 1997. With a friend that knew Pickton, the article noted it is believed that Little came into contact with him around the time of her disappearance. Little, who was transgender, grew up in foster care and struggled with addiction.

In 1992, Elsie Sebastian of Pacheedaht went missing, the article noted. Though not officially linked to Pickton, she was a residential school survivor who also struggled with addiction. It took years for the police to file a missing person report.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 scary for not only for Indigenous women, but it should be scary to everybody,害羞草研究所� Hesquiaht Chief Councillor Mariah Charleson said of the RCMP害羞草研究所檚 application to dispose of the 14,000 exhibits.

害羞草研究所淭hese aren害羞草研究所檛 closed cases and so there is a thought in many people害羞草研究所檚 minds that that evidence needs to be preserved,害羞草研究所� said Charleson. 害羞草研究所淕etting rid of the evidence is ultimately giving away an opportunity to bring light and bring closure to many of the families and survivors who have been impacted by Pickton.害羞草研究所�

In 2019, the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls was published, alongside 231 Calls for Justice.

害羞草研究所淭hey refer to them as being imperative,害羞草研究所� said Charleson of the 231 Calls for Justice. 害羞草研究所淚mperative in the fact that if Canada does not respond to these 231 Call to Justice, that they are continuing to commit genocide against Indigenous women and girls, and Two Spirit, plus.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭his is an opportunity for Canada to step up and say, we understand the importance of this evidence, we understand that many of these cases remain to be open, we understand the importance of continuing to keep this evidence to ensure that we continue to look for the answers that many of the family so desperately deserve,害羞草研究所� said Charleson. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 an opportunity to do the right thing.害羞草研究所�

On June 3, the fifth anniversary of the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said in a statement released by the Assembly of First Nations that 害羞草研究所渋mplementation of the Calls for Justice is far from complete.害羞草研究所�

Only two Calls for Justice have been fully implemented, the statement continued, 害羞草研究所渨ith the majority showing minimal or no progress.害羞草研究所�

Unclaimed items must be disposed: RCMP

The RCMP released a statement responding to a press conference held by Justice for Girls on Dec. 11, 2023.

害羞草研究所淲hile the RCMP is making applications to the court for the 害羞草研究所榙isposal害羞草研究所� of property held by the police, it is important to understand that all evidence is being preserved,害羞草研究所� the statement reads. 害羞草研究所淭o put it simply, the RCMP is not authorized to retain property indefinitely and is making application to the court for disposition of that property.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淯ltimately, this process 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,害羞草研究所� the statement continued.

But Brown believes that with advancements in forensic and DNA technology it害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渋mperative害羞草研究所� to retain those exhibits.

害羞草研究所淲ith Robert Pickton now dead, that is one potential avenue of information about what really happened to so many of those unsolved disappearances and homicides, that the DNA evidence and the physical evidence may be all we have left,害羞草研究所� said Brown.

害羞草研究所淗e is the most notorious, alleged serial killer, but it害羞草研究所檚 also well documented and well known that there害羞草研究所檚 believed to be other perpetrators who were involved in the deaths and disappearances of the women who ended up on the farm or elsewhere,害羞草研究所� said Brown.

害羞草研究所淭he evidence needs to be preserved until all of the questions have been answered,害羞草研究所� said Charleson. 害羞草研究所淪o many people have been impacted and continue to be impacted.害羞草研究所�

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