PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

Unlocking Secrets to Solve a True Crime

The following example comes from a true undercover crime investigation into serial killer Robert William Pickton, following his arrest outside Vancouver on 5 February 2002. The details of this investiation were supressed for many years. However, I am now able to release this detailed account of how an undercover officer was able to unlock the very dangerous secrets from the mind of a serial killer. When you read through this example, you will notice some of the elicitation techniques we have discussed being used subtly and effectively. You now have the opportunity to see firsthand just how very effective these techniques can be; even with a person, who until then had locked his secret activities away from every person he knew. The techniques are so effective that they influence Pickton to share his greatest secrets with a total stranger.

Please be warned that this real crime example does contain some offensive language.

Vancouver, Canada. 5 February 2002

During the day, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had received information that Robert William Pickton had illegal firearms on his ramshackle pig farm in Port Coquitlam, about 30 minutes drive from Vancouver’s CBD.76

About 8.30 pm on that cold night, a small team of RCMP officers armed with a search warrant for illegal firearms crept onto Pickton’s farm. At 8.35, five Entry Team officers smashed open the front door of the dilapidated building and arrested Pickton. Pickton was then taken to the police station as the search commenced. Illegal firearms were found almost immediately, but there was a lot more to be found on Pickton’s pig farm …

In one room an officer found a birth certificate in the name of Heather Bottomley. A short time later, another officer who was searching Pickton’s office area opened a grey ski bag which had a number of items, including a pair of women’s joggers and an asthma inhaler with the patient’s name, Sereena Abotsway, typed on the label.

Both these women had previously been reported missing from Vancouver’s Eastside area, dubbed ‘skid row,’ where drugs, prostitution, robbery and violence prevailed. These two names were part of a long list of women missing from that area. In fact, over the years female sex workers had been disappearing at such an alarming rate that a special joint police taskforce, the British Columbia Missing Women Investigation, was formed. The investigation had not identified the offender or offenders responsible, though there was a high degree of intelligence indicating that a serial killer was preying on skid row sex workers.

The day after the search warrant on Pictkon’s farm (6 February 2002) about 16 hours after his arrest, Pickton was charged with firearms offences and released on bail. However, he was not allowed back on his farm as the RCMP were still searching the property; now under a different warrant—one relating to the long list of missing women. The press latched on to the story, and the farm, still guarded by the RCPM, was surrounded by television crews and reporters.

Sixteen days later on 22 February 2002, Pickton was arrested and formally charged with the murders of two missing woman. While he denied any involvement, police suspected Pickton was responsible for much more than just two murders.

After being charged Pickton was walked to the cell block by the guards. He was now aged 51, unshaven and was almost totally bald except for long, dirty, scraggly brown hair that hung from the very back of his head. Pickton was filthy and smelly but had refused the police offer to take a shower. The police then took his clothing and dressed him in a fresh white T-shirt and grey fleecy tracksuit and marched him towards his cell.

The cream-colored cell was about three metres square, the u-shaped cement bench along its three sides formed two beds and included a basic toilet and sink. The remaining side had the cell door which opened to a hallway. As Pickton was escorted along the hallway by the guards, he saw his cellmate was to be a large rough-looking career criminal who immediately shouted angrily at the guards that he wanted to see his lawyer and abused them for putting another person in his cell. Pickton entered the cell and sat quietly on the vacant bed. What he didn’t know was that his aggressive cell mate was in fact an RCMP undercover officer …

I have worked and trained with RCMP undercover officers in Canada and they are, in my opinion, some of the best covert operatives in the world. The identity of this operative has necessarily been removed from the below transcript. However, I can tell you that he had very little warning or information about his sudden covert deployment and its requirements. All he was told was that he was to share a cell with a 51-year-old suspect who had been arrested on two counts of murder. Additionally, he was shown Pickton’s murder charge sheet.77 Without the benefit of a significant research phase (see Part Four), the operative had to rely purely upon his indirect elicitation skills (the same as we have discussed in Parts Two and Three) to see if Pickton would share his hidden information with him, and the recording devices and camera hidden in the cell.

Below I have listed several excerpts of the recorded conversations that took place over three days following Pickton’s arrest.78 As this is actual transcript from a real police undercover operation there are, as is usually the case, several parts of the conversation that are inaudible due to technical difficulties or crosstalk. As such there are gaps in the conversation. However, the above background story should assist you in understanding the context of the conversations.

As you read the excerpts you will notice that as a result of the operative’s clever indirect elicitation techniques and successful psychological mirroring, Pickton’s relationship with the operative changes. It transforms from that of two strangers, where Pickton hides information and denies any involvement in the murders; to two confidantes, where Picton shares that he killed 49 women and how he disposed of some of the bodies. The operative successfully becomes ‘that person’ to Pickton.

Please be advised: These undercover excerpts contain offensive language.

Excerpt One

Psychological Mirroring and Elicitation Line ‘Pick a Common Enemy’

Robert Pickton: He says that they are gonna charge me for murder one on two counts.

Undercover officer: Hum. Fuck. That’s fuckin’ pretty heavy shit, there.

Robert Pickton: You know what? Sometimes innocent people go to jail too.

Undercover officer: Sometimes? Tell me about it. You know what? They gotta fuckin’ prove it first. Yeah, I’ll tell ya that too.

Robert Pickton: What’s that?

Undercover officer: They gotta fuckin’ prove it too.

Robert Pickton: No they don’t have to prove anything. They don’t have to prove nothing.

Undercover officer: What’ll they do? They can’t fuckin’ keep you here if they got nothing on you, I’ll tell you that, man.

Robert Pickton: They can set you up. They can set you up.

Undercover officer: Do you think?

Robert Pickton: Fuckin’ right. These are cops and they’re dirty at that.

Undercover officer: Can’t trust a cop, man; believe that.

Robert Pickton: These are fuckin’ cops and you can’t trust the fuckin’ cocksuckers.

Undercover officer: Yeah, you’re right there. You’re fuckin’ eh, you’re right on the money on that one.

Robert Pickton: They is, they could, document anything at all.

Undercover officer: Well they’ll try anyway. Fuckin’ try.

Robert Pickton: Well, they can. They got me up for ah, murder one, two counts.

Undercover officer: Hm.

Robert Pickton: And I don’t know nothing about it.

Excerpt Two

Psychological Mirroring and Elicitation Lines ‘Disbelief’ and ‘Flattery’

Robert Pickton: I’m a plain old pig farmer. (Nodding)

Undercover officer: Pig farmer? So you’re that fuckin’ guy that ah… (refers to media reports). Yeah, sure you are. You don’t look like no fuckin’ pig farmer to me …

Robert Pickton: So I go to work then and (indecipherable) … all of sudden then, they got my gun, now I’m in jail.

Undercover officer: That’s, that’s not right.

Robert Pickton: Now they’re trying to charge me for 50 murders. Fifty fuckin’ murders. Fuck off.

Undercover officer: They’re fucked; they can’t.

Robert Pickton: Fifty fuckin’ murders, me?

Undercover officer: Yeah that’s… I still don’t fucken believe ya.

Robert Pickton: Huh?

Undercover officer: Fuckin’ I still don’t believe that. I think you’re fuckin’ bull shittin’ me. Like I said, just look atcha.

Excerpt Three

Elicitation Lines ‘Flattery’ and ‘Gee, You’re Really Important—Tell Me More’

Robert Pickton: The whole fuckin’ world knows me. All the way to Hong Kong to everywhere. Even Hong Kong.

Undercover officer: Fuck. I never knew you’re world renowned.

Robert Pickton: What’s that?

Undercover officer: You’re an all-star. Fuck, it’s not that big.

Robert Pickton: All the way to Hong Kong.

Undercover officer: Fuck, the next think you’ll be like King Tut or Saddam Hussein and those guys.

Robert Pickton: Kinda nice to be similar to Saddam …

Excerpt Four

Emphasising Similarities and Elicitation Line ‘Sharing a Secret Secret to Uncover a Real Secret’

Robert Pickton: So what are you in here for?

Undercover officer: You really want to know? What do you want to know? Ah, between me and you, I’m fuckin’ wanted for some pretty heavy shit back east.

Robert Pickton: Just ah, about breach warrants?

Undercover officer: I don’t … no fuck those warrants. Fuck, it’s the bad stuff.

Robert Pickton: What’s that?

Undercover officer: Take a guess. What are you sittin’ in here for?

Robert Pickton: I got ah, two attempt murder charges, ah, two murder charges against me.

Undercover officer: Yeah. I’m going down, fuckin’ ah, fuckin’ attempt …

Robert Pickton: Attempt murder?

Undercover officer: Yeah, back east.

Excerpt Five

Elicitation Line ‘Quid Pro Quo—Reciprocity’

(The meals have just been delivered to the cell with cups of coffee. The undercover officer does Pickton a favor. Without being able to repay the favor in a similar way, information is later given up by Pickton)

Undercover officer: What is it? (referring to the meal)

Robert Pickton: I don’t know.

Undercover officer: Fuckin’ beans or somethin’.

Robert Pickton: This (indecipherable). Aw, coffee!

Undercover officer: You don’t drink coffee?

Robert Pickton: No.

Undercover officer: Really?

Robert Pickton: No.

Undercover officer: Why don’t you tell ’em you want juice or something? They’ll get some.

(Minutes later)

Undercover officer: Guard! Can you get juice or water or something else?

Guard: No, there’s water in the tap there … Okay, might have some juice.

Undercover officer: Can you get a cup or something?

Robert Pickton: I don’t drink coffee.

Undercover officer: He doesn’t like coffee.

Guard: Doesn’t drink coffee?

Undercover officer: No.

Guard: Okay, I’ll see if I can find some juice.

Excerpt Six

Excellent Psychological Mirroring and Elicitation Line ‘Flattery’

(The operative picks up the respect Pickton has for his brother and psychologically mirrors Picton, creating a strong psychological link)

Undercover officer: Yeah, but you gotta fuckin’ cover your own ass I’m telling you.

Robert Pickton: That’s what my brother said to me.

Undercover officer: You think those fuckin’ guys are gonna care about your ass?

Robert Pickton: That’s what my brother was worried about.

Undercover officer: Well, it sounds like your brother’s a pretty smart guy; he’s been around a lot.

Robert Pickton: Yup.

Undercover officer: He knows how business is done.

Robert Pickton: He warned me I’m screwed.

Undercover officer: Well, you should have fuckin’ took a plane down to fuckin’ Cuba somewhere.

Robert Pickton: I’m just a plain pig farmer.

Undercover officer: Not anymore, my friend.

Robert Pickton: The whole world knows me now.

Undercover officer: That’s right; you’re fuckin’ ah, like a legend.

Robert Pickton: Really I am now. Doesn’t matter where I go.

Excerpt Seven

Emphasising Similarities, Psychological Mirroring and Elicitation Line ‘Flattery’

Undercover officer: You’re a clean cut kinda guy, just a workin’ joey.

Robert Pickton: It’s all I am, just a farm boy.

Undercover officer: I know what farm work’s like. I spent a few years on the farm myself.

(Break)

Undercover officer: Those are fun days.

Robert Pickton: Oh yeah.

Undercover officer: Growing up.

Robert Pickton: That’s ah, when you’re growing up.

Undercover officer: You gotta, especially farm kids eh?

Robert Pickton: Yeah. I mean ah … I stopped.

Undercover officer: We used to jump off the fuckin’ bales into the big hay …

Robert Pickton: I worked hard all my life.

Undercover officer: You got to like, if you live on a farm.

Robert Pickton: Yeah.

Undercover officer: Haul water and …

Robert Pickton: Six-thirty in the morning, you’re up.

Undercover officer: Yeah, chores.

Robert Pickton: Get up and get out there and milk the cows.

Undercover officer: Yeah.

Robert Pickton: Come back in, get cleaned up, and get ready for school.

Undercover officer: Yeah.

Robert Pickton: Come back from school, go out and milk the cows again.

Undercover officer: Yeah. That’s right. Fuckin’ feed ’em, water ’em.

(Break)

Robert Pickton: So, so hard.

Undercover officer: That’s the kind of … you worked hard, you’re right you know. That’s how you pay your way, that’s how you made a success, where you fuckin’ got money from.

Robert Pickton: Now I’m up for murder, I’ll lose everything.

Undercover officer: Doesn’t seem fair.

Robert Pickton: I lose everything. I lose everything, everything I worked for.

Undercover officer: But they can’t take the fuckin’ hard work from you, though.

Robert Pickton: But, I’d still do it tomorrow, the same thing, help people, everything else.

Undercover officer: Don’t let it change ya.

Robert Pickton: Hum?

Undercover officer: Yeah, don’t let it change you, be who you are.

Robert Pickton: Yeah. I won’t change myself much. I won’t change myself very much.

Undercover officer: Yeah. Well sounds like you led a fuckin’ good life though, like you said.

Excerpt Eight

Elicitation Lines ‘Sharing a Secret Secret to Uncover a Real Secret’ and Quid Pro Quo—Reciprocity

(By sharing a fabricated secret, the operative induces Pickton to share similar information to repay the obligation. From this point Pickton increases how much information he is prepared to share; he confesses how he disposed of some of the bodies and to killing 49 people)

Undercover officer: Fuckin’ a guy does it right. I find the best way to fuckin’ dispose of something (referring to a body) is fuckin’ take it to the ocean.

Robert Pickton: Oh, really?

Undercover officer: Oh, fuck, do you know what the fuckin’ ocean does to things? There ain’t much left.

Robert Pickton: I did better than that.

Undercover officer: Who?

Robert Pickton: Me.

Undercover officer: No. Huh.

(Pickton gets up and sits close to the operative)

Robert Pickton: A rendering plant.

Undercover officer: Hey?

Robert Pickton: A rendering plant.

Undercover officer: Ha, ha. No shit. Ha, ha, that’s gotta be fuckin’ ah, pretty good hey.

Robert Pickton: Mm, hmm.

Undercover officer: Can’t be much fuckin’ left?

Robert Pickton: Oh, no only ah, I was kinda sloppy at the end, too, getting too sloppy.

Undercover officer: Really.

Robert Pickton: They got me, oh, fuck, gettin’ too sloppy.

Undercover officer: See, fuck, you gotta be fuckin’ meticulous you gotta be …

Robert Pickton: (Indecipherable).

Undercover officer: That’s pretty, that’s fuckin’ pretty … pretty good man.

Robert Pickton: Mmm?

Undercover officer: That’s fuckin’ pretty good. You must be doing something right, Ha, ha. Fuckin’ beautiful …

(Break)

Robert Pickton: I was gonna do one more, make it an even fifty.

Undercover officer: (Laughing)

Robert Pickton: That’s why, that’s why I was sloppy about (indecipherable).

Undercover officer: Yeah.

Robert Pickton: I wanted one more, make, make the big five O.

Undercover officer: Make the big five zero (Laughing). Fuck. That’s fucked, Fuckin’ five zero. Fuckin’ half a hundred.

(Pickton laughing, nodding)

Robert Pickton: Mmm Hmm.

Robert Pickton: Everybody says, how many of those (bodies)? I wouldn’t tell ’em.

Excerpt Nine

Elicitation Line ‘Gee You’re Really Important—Please Tell Me More’

Robert Pickton: Really fuckin’ pisses me off. I was just gonna fuckin’ do one more make it even.

Undercover officer: (Laughing)

Robert Pickton: Bigger than the, bigger than the ones in the States.

(Referring to US serial killers, in particular serial killer Gary Leon Ridgway, the ‘Green River Killer,’ who was arrested the year before.)

Undercover officer: Yeah. Oh yeah, fuckin’ by far.

Robert Pickton: His record was about 42 they says.

Undercover officer: Yeah, is it.

Robert Pickton: Forty-two.

Undercover officer: Fuckin’ it looks like you got the record.

Robert Pickton: This is big right now it’s big, it’s growing.

(Break)

Robert Pickton: Forty-nine!

Undercover officer: Almost made it.

Robert Pickton: Hum, almost made it.

Robert Pickton: I’m worried about it.

Undercover officer: Hee hee.

Robert Pickton: All the way up to 50.

Undercover officer: Hey?

Robert Pickton: I haven’t done 50 yet.

Undercover officer: Yeah. Yeah …

(Break)

Robert Pickton: I can’t believe it I mean …

Undercover officer: (Laughs) I can’t believe it, I’m with the fuckin’ Pigman! You’ll be fuckin’ signing autographs… Hmm.

Robert Pickton: That’s big … that’s bigger than the … Green River.

Undercover officer: Oh yeah, I don’t know. What was that?

Robert Pickton: Forty-two.

Concluding Excerpt

Robert Pickton: So I’ll see what’s gonna happen tomorrow. Tomorrow’s gonna be very interesting. My lawyer says don’t say nothing.

Undercover officer: Perfect!

The Result

During his time with Pickton, the operative used six of the nine elicitation lines we discussed in Part Three. Additionally, the operative deliberately increased his ‘likeability’ and continually psychologically mirrored Pickton. Within a short time, an abhorrent and dangerous criminal, who had kept his killings secret for over a decade, was suddenly prepared to share his most hidden information with a stranger—such is the nature of effective elicitation.

As a result of the excellent elicitation skills of the operative, painstaking forensic crime scene processing and dedicated police work, Pickton was charged with 26 counts of murder. For legal reasons only six were proceeded with initially. In December 2007, Pickton was found guilty of second-degree murder on all six counts.79 For those six murders, Pickton was sentenced to 25 years without parole; the maximum available for second-degree murder under Canadian law. The Crown prosecutor later decided it was not in the public interest to proceed with the remaining 20 first-degree murder charges.80 The investigation and trial cost $102 million.81