Dozens of people came out to a vigil at the site of Robert Pickton's farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C., on Wednesday to honour the victims of the serial killer and express their dismay at the idea he could apply for day parole. Photo: Rafferty Baker/CBC CANADACANADA eng Victims’ families hold vigil at site of Robert Pickton’s farm by admin 23 فبراير، 2024 written by admin 23 فبراير، 2024 261 Parole application comes amid concerns that RCMP are applying to dispose of Pickton evidence RCI / Akshay Kulkarni (new window) · CBC News WARNING: This story contains distressing details. The families of Robert Pickton’s victims held a vigil at the site of his Port Coquitlam, B.C., farm on Wednesday evening, a day before the serial killer is eligible to apply for day parole. In 2007, Pickton was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder (new window) and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of full parole for 25 years. The remains or DNA of 33 women were found on his pig farm in Port Coquitlam, around 25 kilometres east of downtown Vancouver. The serial killer becomes eligible to apply for day parole — meaning he would have to return to prison or a halfway home at night — on Feb. 22, according to the Parole Board of Canada. In a statement, a parole board spokesperson said there is no hearing automatically scheduled for Pickton on Thursday. The offender day parole eligibility date is on Feb. 22, 2024, but that does not mean a hearing is automatically scheduled for this date, the spokesperson wrote. Offenders need to apply to obtain a day parole review. Victims’ families held a vigil at the site of Pickton’s farm, which is now held by the B.C. government. It’s important to honour the women that lost their lives here, and for my daughter, said Michele Pineault, the mother of Stephanie Lane, whose partial skeletal remains were found at Pickton’s farm. Lane was among a number of Indigenous women suspected to have been taken by Pickton from the Downtown Eastside. She was reported missing in 1997 by her mother, but her remains were not found until 2003 on the pig farm. Pickton was never charged with her killing, despite Lane’s remains being returned (new window) to her family in 2014. She is believed to be Pickton’s youngest victim, aged 20 when she went missing. Stephanie Lane is believed to be the youngest of Robert Pickton’s victims. She was 20 when she was reported missing in 1997.Photo: Jim Mulleder/CBC Pineault, who called the police response to Pickton’s killings a s–t show, said she was aghast at the idea that the serial killer could apply for day parole. Pickton should not walk on this Earth. He doesn’t deserve to take one step out of where he is, she said. He needs to stay where he is until he dies. Concerns over evidence disposition The vigil at Pickton’s farm also came amid ongoing concerns that RCMP are applying to dispose of evidence (new window) from the Pickton case. Lily Louis-Irving, who attended the vigil to honour her aunt Sherry Irving, said the ongoing applications have been stressful on the family. Pickton was found guilty in 2007 of six counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of women who disappeared from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.Photo: Rafferty Baker/CBCPhoto: Rafferty Baker/CBC My dad sent an email out to them trying to get them to look further into it as my aunt’s evidence has not been yet looked into yet, she said. In 2020, the RCMP began filing applications to the court to obtain judicial authorizations to dispose of exhibits that were brought forward in the 2007 trial, with applications continuing to make their way through the courts this year. In a previous statement to CBC News, RCMP said they are not authorized to hold on to evidence indefinitely, and are required by law to return property to their rightful owners or dispose of it, if it is unclaimed. B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said authorities would do everything in their power to ensure families are involved in any ongoing applications. We know that this is an incredibly sensitive issue for the families, he said. We want to make sure that everything is done properly and that their concerns need to be taken into account on any decision that’s made on this. Support is available for anyone affected by these reports and the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Immediate emotional assistance and crisis support are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through a national hotline at 1-844-413-6649. You can also access, through the government of Canada, health support services (new window) such as mental health counselling, community-based support and cultural services, and some travel costs to see elders and traditional healers. Family members seeking information about a missing or murdered loved one can access Family Information Liaison Units (new window). ABOUT THE AUTHOR Akshay Kulkarni (new window) · CBC News · Journalist Akshay Kulkarni is a journalist who has worked at CBC British Columbia since 2021. Based in Vancouver, he has covered breaking news, and written features about the pandemic and toxic drug crisis. He is most interested in data-driven stories. You can email him at akshay.kulkarni@cbc.ca. With files from Rafferty Baker, Chad Pawson and Mike McArthur 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail admin previous post Garderies subventionnées : priorité aux citoyens québécois, dit Legault next post Trudeau takes a swipe at Poilievre over his stance on age verification for porn You may also like ترودو يدعو الكنديين إلى ترك السياسة جانباً في... 25 ديسمبر، 2024 سوق عيد الميلاد تستقطب العديد في مونتريال 25 ديسمبر، 2024 غرس 280 مليون شجرة في بريتيش كولومبيا في... 25 ديسمبر، 2024 نوفا سكوشا: جمعية خيرية تقدّم 600 وجبة طعام... 25 ديسمبر، 2024 حكومة مانيتوبا عازمة على بذل المزيد لمساعدة المتشرّدين 25 ديسمبر، 2024 ترودو يرأس اجتماعاً للجنة المعنية بالعلاقات مع الولايات... 25 ديسمبر، 2024 Full transcript: Read Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Christmas... 25 ديسمبر، 2024 Nova Scotians wake up to crisp, clean snow 25 ديسمبر، 2024 Police seeking information in two deaths ruled as... 25 ديسمبر، 2024 Water service and traffic advisory in effect for... 25 ديسمبر، 2024