Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton dies after prison assault

Robert Pickton, a notorious serial killer involved in one of Canada's largest murder investigations, has passed away at the age of 74.

The Correctional Service Canada (CSC) announced on Friday, May 31, that Pickton, convicted of murdering six women and feeding their remains to pigs on his farm, was assaulted by another inmate at Port-Cartier Institution on May 19. He succumbed to his injuries later at the hospital.

Before his death, Pickton was in a medically induced coma and on life support.

In 2007, Pickton was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with a maximum parole ineligibility of 25 years. He had been charged with murdering 26 women in British Columbia.

The police began searching Pickton's farm in Port Coquitlam, a Vancouver suburb, over 22 years ago, initiating a years-long investigation into the disappearances of dozens of women, including sex workers and drug users marginalized in society.

The remains or DNA of 33 women were discovered on the farm. Pickton once boasted to an undercover officer that he had killed a total of 49 women.

In February, Pickton became eligible for day parole, sparking outrage from advocates, politicians, and victims' family members who criticized Canada's justice system, insisting he should never be released from prison.