On the Farm: Robert William Pickton and the Tragic Story of Vancouver's Missing Women [Hardcover]

 

 

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"I had one more planned, but that was the end of it. That was the last. I was gonna shut it down. I was just sloppy. Just the last one." - Calgary Herald, August 2010

I found this book to be a sad and painful reminder of how strong the forces of evil can be when they are intent on destroying all that is weak and vulnerable in society. Cameron's exhaustive researching of the infamous Robert `Willy' Pickton file, stretching back as far as the nineteen eighties, creates a bizarre and twisted story of one man's fiendish desire to prey on and murder prostitutes living in Vancouver's East End. To get at the truth of the matter as to why Pickton went on this rampage and how he managed to elude police for so long makes for a fascinating and blood-chilling read. While much of the evidence that Cameron uses to answer these questions has since emerged in testimony recently unsealed by the BC Supreme Court, her analytical and compelling account should still be considered the key authority on this horrible train of events. To achieve that distinction, Cameron, author of other investigative efforts, provides credible information that sets the scene of the crime, gets inside the mind and personality of the killer, ties in with the various ongoing forensic investigations, looks at motive and, most importantly, focuses on the lives of Pickton's numerous victims. Cameron's retelling of this tragically macabre affair contains a balance of praise and rebuke for the police, politicians, and the courts with respect to their roles in either assisting or frustrating the investigation. Here are ten useful ideas I acquired from reading this book that, I believe, could help others come to grips with the magnitude of this crime:
a) Pickton was definitely psychopathic in his behavior though he was very cunning in his ability to disguise his urges as innocent eccentricities;
b) Much of Pickton's anti-social behavior can be traced to a very abusive and dysfunctional upbringing;
c) As DNA technology improved over the years, much of the evidence collected from various crime sites involving murdered call girls in the Lower Mainland focused on a prime list of suspects that included Pickton and Gary Ridgeway, the Green River killer;
d) There were plenty of incriminating clues - the virtual connection between the farm, the Astoria Hotel and the East End -that pointed in Pickton's direction but nobody with any legal clout seemed interested in going beyond joining the dots;
e) The Pickton brothers were well known to police for some serious criminal activities involving the Hell's Angels;
f) Pickton is portrayed as a vicious and blood-thirsty killer of both pigs and women. There seems to be ample proof of a cross-over of methods in disposing of both. The detail here was, perhaps, the hardest to stomach;
g) The reader gets to see how the various forensic teams conducted their respective inquiries leading to a successful prosecution of Pickton;
h) For anyone having grown up in the Lower Mainland, Cameron's description of familiar landmarks like the Pickton Farm, the Barnett Highway, Port Coquitlam and Essondale create a very strong sense of deja vu;
i) Cameron writes widely and competently about many of the investigative weapons at the disposal of the investigators such as profiling and DNA sampling. With these techniques and technologies, one gets the feeling that Pickton should have been nabbed considerably earlier than he was;
j) While justice was finally realized with the sentencing of Pickton to indefinite life behind bars, there is a nagging feeling that the system, as represented by the indifference and gross negligence of the Vancouver Police Department, seriously let the women of the East End down. Cameron's book serves as a guide through these terrible times as well as a critique of where the establishment went wrong in protecting society's weakest members: the derelicts of society.

I think the book could have been clearer about some of the why's and wherefores. I was wondering when they were going to write a book about this farmer. We got information about the police not being able to do a job because of internal strife. There was an absence of pictures to my liking. A picture tells a thousand words. There were some pictures and I guess there is a victims site but I'd hoped for more. We got dates mostly.

An in-depth look at Pickton, his family, his friends and acquaintances, his lifestyle, and ultimately, his victims. It also delves into the struggles faced by advocates of the missing women, trying in vain to get police attention over the many years of unexplained disappearances. It outlines reasons why the police didn't act in the early years of the case - why there was no real "case" at all in the beginning. Reasons which were mostly legitimate (by police standards) but sometimes merely the result of arrogance and in-fighting at the highest levels. Not the VPD's proudest moment, but only thanks to a select few.

I've been waiting for a book of this quality to surface and was glad to find this one. If you're looking for blood and guts, keep looking. This book is less about gory detail and more about background and the challenges faced by everyone involved. It's a thorough, well-written, well-documented account of this tragedy and if you're at all interested in it, I think you'll find it an excellent read. Kudos to Stevie CAMERON.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Love it
This book is amazing. It is detailed and gives you insight into the girls' lives who were murdered. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Kle Sage

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great
Being my favorite kind of book (true crime) I was really looking forward to this book, particularly as I live only 4 hours away from where this happened. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Anthony Gordon

5.0 out of 5 stars A manual of Police incompetance
Amazing how long he was able to continue his murder spree. The verdict at his trial makes one wonder if everyone in Vancouver is a moron.

Published 4 months ago by John E. Young

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding true crime book
I read a lot of true crime books, but this one truly stands out. The author provides a great deal of background information about the Pickton family history, and the area. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Mrs. Mountainside

1.0 out of 5 stars HORRIBLE
I am an avid reader of True Crime novels especially things that are local. This book was a huge let down. Read more

Published 18 months ago by C. Brucker

5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting and informative
This book is an amazing read. All the details of the Pickton case that you ever wanted to know. Some are nervous that the book is too gory... Read more

Published 18 months ago by SandiW.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic well written book!
This book is a remarkable piece of Non-Fiction. Stevie Cameron is a great investigative journalist as proven through this book and through her past works, most notably "The... Read more

Published 19 months ago by Wayne Kelley

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