BC Supreme Court judge says he has the authority to order the destruction of thousands of evidence seized from serial killer Robert Pickton Pig farm decades ago, whether or not it was used in the murder case.

A decision posted online Wednesday said the RCMP could apply to destroy approximately 15,000 pieces of evidence collected during the search. Pickton’s The property in Port Coquitlam included “items identified as belonging to the victims.”

Police last year asked the court for an order allowing the destruction of large amounts of evidence collected in the case against Pickton, who was convicted of the second-degree murders of six women; However, he was initially accused of first-degree murder of 27 women. women.

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New battle to save evidence from serial killer Robert Pickton’s trial

Pickton died in May after being attacked in a Quebec prison.

Some family members of the victims objected to the disposal because there was an ongoing civil lawsuit against Pickton’s estate, and his brother, David Pickton, Yand, wanted to ensure that the evidence they needed to prove their case was not dispersed or destroyed.

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The court rejected the bid to intervene in July this year, ruling that it now had the authority to order the disposal of evidence regardless of whether it was used at Pickton’s trial.

The ruling says police intend to “make a number of applications” for court orders allowing them to get rid of the evidence because it is “legally obliged to dispose of the property” because it is no longer needed in any investigation or criminal investigation.

In his ruling, Judge Frits Verhoeven said there might be reason to doubt whether the court had jurisdiction over items seized from the farm and not exhibited.

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Legal battle broke out over evidence from Robert Pickton case

However, he said that this would be a decision to be made later and stated that “the question of whether the court has the authority to decide on the destruction of the seized items may continue to be evaluated in another case, if necessary.”

Jason Gratl, an attorney who represents family members of victims in civil lawsuits against the Pickton brothers, said in an interview Wednesday that the latest court order does not mean the exhibits will be destroyed.

“Any concerns about the destruction of evidence are premature. “Just because the court will hear an application to allow the RCMP to destroy evidence does not mean the court will grant the application,” he said.

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Lawyers, victim’s families oppose destruction of evidence in Pickton case

Gratl said he would ask the court for evidence if the RCMP applies to dispose of evidence that could be useful in proving civil cases.

“We will seek to obtain any evidence that the RCMP no longer desires to prove this civil claim,” he said.

Gratl said no date has been set for when the civil cases will be heard.

The court’s earlier ruling said the RCMP agreed to allow some civil claim plaintiffs “limited participation” in the disposal application process and agreed to notify them if police establish “possession or title to the items” they are applying for. destroy

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