The grisly work of defending a serial killer

For almost six years, a team of lawyers represented Robert Pickton without a quiver of ambiguity in their voices 19/12/07 2:11 PM

Second Pickton trial unlikely, lawyers say

While jury deliberates whether he is guilty of killing six women, farmer still faces charges for murder of 20 others 03/12/07 4:34 AM

Key facts kept from Pickton jury: investigator

Past head of Vancouver's Missing Women Task Force hopes unusual statement will stir debate over whether courts should keep evidence from juries 11/12/07 4:07 AM

Downtown Eastside: A haunting ground for many, a hunting ground for one

Women will continue to work the streets despite the conviction of Robert Pickton 09/12/07 10:32 PM

A generous companion or a diabolical killer?

You cannot watch him walk into the courtroom without thinking, here is the 58-year-old bachelor known internationally as the pig farmer on trial for the murder of drug-addicted prostitutes 30/11/07 11:10 PM

From working farm to rural nightmare

Before becoming a scene of grisly discoveries, the Pickton property was used for a mixed bag of business 30/11/07 11:10 PM

Key dates in Pickton case

Who is Robert Pickton

Quick sketch describes accused killer 30/11/07 11:10 PM

Pickton jurors look back on trial's boredom, trauma

Say weeks of DNA evidence in the mammoth case stick in their minds more than the gory details 13/12/07 5:20 AM

Pickton judge admits mistake

Rewords his instructions to jury, explaining he had not been sufficiently precise 07/12/07 1:11 AM

Victims' families upset over treatment

Meetings fail to resolve dispute at Robert Pickton first-degree murder trial over complaints raised about victim services agency 08/12/07 9:31 PM

Tree buoys spirits during wait for Pickton verdict

Christmas tree appears on plaza with 26 white angels, one for each of the missing women 08/12/07 1:11 PM

Court atmosphere turns icy for families

Authorities have banned board games, puzzles and knitting needles for victims' relatives awaiting verdict 04/12/07 4:25 AM

Graphic cases trigger nightmares, stress in jurors

After almost a year, seven men and five women who are deciding Pickton's fate will have to figure out how to return to their lives 03/12/07 4:34 AM

Judge lays out rules for verdict

Jury doesn't have to decide whether Pickton acted alone, legal instructions say 28/11/07 5:20 AM

Accused 'wants to put one over on you'

Evidence against Pickton ties together perfectly, prosecution says in wrapping up case 27/11/07 5:14 AM

'Red herrings, straw men and a bogeyman'

Crown begins summation, scorning Pickton defence arguments that challenge evidence 23/11/07 3:26 AM

Police ignored parts of forensic evidence

It linked others to dead women, Pickton lawyer says in closing argument 22/11/07 5:39 AM

Pickton never confessed: lawyer

Defence argues that jail-cell talk was merely parroting police 21/11/07 4:55 AM

Crown built case on lies: Pickton defence

Police interrogators trapped 'weak-minded' farmer into incriminating statements, lawyer says 20/11/07 4:32 AM

Week 2: Defence hammers at police about interrogation

Court also hears about extent of forensic search on Pickton property 11/04/07 11:30 AM

Week 3: Police first enter the farm looking for weapons

Trial hears that search quickly shifts to a hunt for evidence on missing women; court hears Pickton conversations with cell plant 09/12/07 5:09 PM

Week 4: Thousands of pieces of evidence pulled from Pickton property

Court hears details about blood splatters and syringes of blue liquid 24/04/07 1:35 PM

Week 5: Grisly discoveries outlined in court

Police testify they found decomposing, bisected skulls of several women on the Pickton farm 24/04/07 1:47 PM

Week 6: Jury learns Pickton's brother Dave also investigated over missing women

Trial also hears how remains of two women were found in a freezer while defence hammers away at DNA contamination of evidence 07/03/07 6:15 PM

Week 7: Pickton tells childhood stories to woman in audio letter

Court listened as the then 42-year-old described his life in school, on the farm and described his plans for the future 02/05/07 12:53 PM

Week 8: Court heard police paid for witness to attend drug program

Officer testifies he was "trying to keep the lines of communication open …" 02/05/07 1:58 PM

Week 10: Lab works with 750 known DNA profiles, court hears

RCMP labs use four different databases — the Canadian Caucasian database and three from the native populations in B.C., Ontario and Saskatchewan for comparison 21/05/07 2:36 PM

Week 11: Jury unfazed by experts' grim DNA testimony

Photographs of evidence seen over 10 weeks of testimony kept in thick binders 21/05/07 5:37 PM

Week 12: Court decides jury will hear from fewer officers

Every police officer who touched an exhibit only required to recount their role only when either the prosecution or defence identifies a contentious issue 21/05/07 7:24 PM

Week 13: Jurors shaken by graphic evidence

Mr. Justice James Williams, of B.C. Supreme Court had warned the seven men and five women of the jury viewing photographs of human remains was part of the task for which they signed 02/07/07 1:41 PM

Week 14: Jury hears missing women had troubling lives

Details about when the women were last seen were introduced in court by agreement of both the prosecution and defence, which was expected to reduce the length of the trial by several weeks 02/07/07 2:32 PM

Week 15: Details about missing woman upset witness

Court heard from woman who had known Georgina Papin for more than 20 years 02/07/07 4:51 PM

Week 16: Witness disgusted by pig farmer's work

Foreman recalls visits to rendering plant where accused handled offal with his bare hands 02/07/07 5:40 PM

Week 17: Pig farmer had referred to suicide as 'the only way out' of predicament

Court heard Pickton had given a close female friend nearly $80,000 and her children called him 'daddy' 02/07/07 6:00 PM

Week 19: Key prosecution witness contradicts earlier statements

Pickton smiles as key police source offers recollections that clash with RCMP officers' previous testimony 02/07/07 7:43 PM

Week 20: Tenant praises Pickton as landlord and friend

Gerald McLaughlin says he did not see anything unusual on the farm 30/11/07 8:23 PM

Week 21: Witness says she saw Pickton butchering woman

Lynn Ellingson told court she saw the woman's long, black hair on a table in the barn and knives full of blood 30/11/07 8:24 PM

Week 22: Key witness admits lying to police

But Lynn Ellingson insisted that the core of her account of a woman hanging like a pig in Mr. Pickton's was true 30/11/07 8:25 PM

Week 23: Jurors told they'll be home for Christmas

Pickton trial moving more quickly than anticipated, judge says 30/11/07 8:25 PM

Week 24: Pickton demonstrated how he strangled prostitutes, witness says

Accused pulled out leather belt, handcuffs and wire from under mattress, addict says 30/11/07 8:25 PM

Week 25: Pickton's limited intelligence must be considered, jury told

In opening its case, defence offers explanation for incriminating statements 30/11/07 8:25 PM

Week 26: Defence witnesses describe with fondness their time on farm

Court hears recollections of fun and fresh air, and the judge tells jurors to disregard prosecution evidence about Jane Doe 30/11/07 8:25 PM

Week 27: Witness hedges on timing of last look in freezer

Under prosecution questioning, farm worker doesn't remember as much as he first appeared to know about key evidence 30/11/07 8:25 PM

Week 29: Debate over Pickton's intelligence brings a smile to his face

Letter from jail withdrawing from a high-school correspondence course shows more than Grade 5 intelligence, prosecution suggests 30/11/07 8:25 PM

Week 30: Pickton chooses not to take the stand in his own defence

IQ test expert called by defence spars with prosecution over accused's level of intelligence 11/12/07 1:21 PM