Lawyer for family members of Pickton’s victims wants copy of killer’s ‘tell all book’

By Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press on October 18, 2024.

An artist's sketch shows accused serial killer Robert Pickton taking notes during the second day of his trial in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, B.C., Jan. 31, 2006. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jane Wolsack

VANCOUVER – A Vancouver lawyer representing families of the victims of serial killer Robert Pickton says he’ll be asking for a copy of a “tell all book” seized from Pickton’s cell after he died following an attack in a Quebec prison earlier this year.

Jason Gratl says he and his clients, who have pending lawsuits against Pickton and his brother David in B.C. Supreme Court, were “surprised” when an RCMP search warrant document revealed the existence of a 200-page manuscript handwritten by Pickton.

Gratl says they were led to believe the investigation was over, but police say the materials seized from Pickton’s cell after his death offered nothing new.

The search warrant document filed in New Westminster, B.C., this summer says prison officials found “numerous writings and notes authored by Pickton” after going through his things in search of a will following his death in May.

The “information to obtain” document says Quebec prison officials had a “cursory read” of Pickton’s manuscript, which was titled “Telling My Story.”

Gratl says he’ll seek a copy of the manuscript for its “potential relevance” to his clients’ civil lawsuits against the Pickton brothers, and he says they’re now trying to consolidate the cases and set a trial.

Sgt. Vanessa Munn, a media relations officer with the RCMP, says the writings seized were “thoroughly examined” but didn’t refer to any missing women or his crimes and investigators have “unfortunately” no new information to share with the victims’ families.

“We recognize that there are families with questions about their loved one’s disappearances, however the content of writings did not provide any answers,” Munn said in a written statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2024.