Pig Farm' Serial Killer Viciously Beaten in Prison, Chances of Survival Are Slim
A well-known Canadian serial killer, serving a life sentence, is unlikely to survive after suffering a brutal assault by fellow inmates this week.
Robert Pickton, dubbed "The Pig Farmer Killer," was convicted of murdering six women, although authorities suspect he may have been involved in more than 20 killings. The attack on Pickton occurred on Sunday.
In a statement released on Monday by Correctional Service Canada (CSC), the agency disclosed that an inmate had been seriously assaulted at Port-Cartier Institution, a maximum-security federal facility. While Pickton's name was not initially released, it was later confirmed that he was the injured inmate.
"The safety and security of our institutions, staff, and the public are our top priorities," CSC stated. "An investigation is underway to identify the assailant and review the circumstances surrounding the incident."
By Tuesday afternoon, CBS News confirmed that Pickton, 74, had indeed been the victim of the attack, which left him with life-threatening injuries.
Authorities in Quebec reported that Pickton was hospitalized and "not expected to recover."
According to reports from The Vancouver Sun, Pickton remained on life support after being attacked with a makeshift weapon—a broom handle—by a 51-year-old fellow inmate.
Cynthia Cardinal, whose sister Georgina Papin was a victim of Pickton, reacted to the news of his dire condition by expressing a sense of closure. "I feel like it's her spirit because finally the evil is gone," she remarked. "This news gives me a bit of peace. I've been emotional today. I know it's Georgina. And I know she's at peace."
Pickton's convictions in 2007 were related to the murders of six women in British Columbia, although he had initially faced charges for 21 other deaths. Police discovered DNA evidence from 33 different women at Pickton's farm near Port Coquitlam.
The Sun also reported that Pickton once boasted to an undercover officer about killing 49 women. The investigation into Pickton's crimes was one of the largest in Canada's history and led to his arrest in 2002.