Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we delve into the disturbing case of Robert "Willie" Pickton, the Canadian pig farmer and serial killer known as "The Butcher". Operating out of his farm in Port Coquitlam, Pickton hosted ragers at a venue known as "Piggy’s Palace" while preying on sex workers from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

We explore the grim timeline of disappearances that went ignored by authorities for years, despite tips regarding a freezer full of human flesh and women's belongings found on the property. We break down the massive forensic investigation that revealed Pickton may have disposed of victims by feeding them to his pigs or grinding their remains into meat.

Although Pickton confessed to an undercover officer that he murdered 49 women, he was ultimately convicted of only six counts of second-degree murder in 2007. We discuss the resulting inquiry into systemic police failures and the apology issued to the victims' families for not catching the "monster" sooner. Finally, we cover the end of Pickton's life in May 2024, when he died following a brutal attack by a fellow inmate in a Quebec prison.