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Police Video Interview Takes Centre Stage on Day 3 of Pickton's Murder Trial

Posted on: Wednesday, 24 January 2007, 06:00 CST

NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. (CP) - Jurors will spend a second marathon day Wednesday watching a videotaped police interrogation of Robert Pickton.

A police officer conducted the interview at a Surrey, B.C. police detachment in 2002 after Pickton was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of women who vanished from Vancouver's rough downtown eastside.

CAUTION TO READERS: This story contains graphic content. Some readers may be offended.

There are 11 hours of video in total from the formal interrogation, which jurors began viewing on Tuesday. They watched as Pickton insisted he was just a "pigman" and said the charges against him were "hogwash."

His taped voice rang with the twang of a small-town man, who said he's willing to help out a friend in a jam and shows pride in his work, though his words were often mumbled and difficult to hear.

In the interview, Pickton looked bored at times and confused at others. He was often evasive and unhelpful.

He expressed amazement as RCMP Staff Sgt. Bill Fordy told Pickton he was being investigated for upwards of 50 disappearances and murders of women.

"Wow," Pickton said, and began to laugh.

"In your own words, Rob, can you explain to me what that means to you?" Fordy asked.

"What it means to me? Hogwash," Pickton answered.

Pickton is charged with 26 murders. This trial is on six counts only. He is to face the remaining counts at a later date.

Tuesday's afternoon session in court included video of Fordy bringing out a large cardboard poster with the pictures of 48 women police were investigating as missing.

Many of the slain women worked in the sex trade.

Fordy went through the pictures one by one and asked Pickton if he knew them.

The pig farmer never said he knew any of them but said that one looked familiar.

Pickton had trouble believing the enormity of the investigation at his farm - Fordy regaled him with the number of experts called in to analyze every scrap of evidence found relating to the deaths of dozens of women.

The jury heard Fordy tell Pickton that police could be at the farm for a year.

"A year," he exclaimed. "What are they looking for anyways?"

Jurors heard the Crown say at the trial's opening on Monday that parts of the six women for whose deaths Pickton is on trial were found scattered around the farm where he butchered hogs in Port Coquitlam.

Day 2 of Pickton's trial was a more sombre affair than the emotional and chaotic scene that marked its start.

Fewer journalists were in evidence and more seats in the tiny courtroom stood empty.

Source: Canadian Press

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