A memoir claiming to be written by a Canadian serial killer serving life in prison has been removed from Amazon after family members of victims complained hours after it went on sale.
Robert Pickton was convicted in 2007 for murdering six women and feeding some of them to pigs. Charges relating to the deaths of 20 other women were suspended.
The former multi-millionaire farmer, who is serving a life sentence, smuggled the book out via an inmate from the maximum security prison, Kent Institution, according to CTV News.
Police, Amazon users and family members requested the company stops selling the memoir.
Officials in British Colombia have said they will prevent the 66-year-old from profiting from sales of the memoir.
Titled Pickton: In His Own Words, the book was available for a few hours for $20.17 and was published by Outskirts Press, a Colorado-based company which helps self-publishing authors.
The BBC reported Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said an investigation had been launched into how Pickton’s manuscript was smuggled out of the prison.
Pickton outlines his innocence in the book and claims he was framed by Canadian police.
Speaking to CBC News, Kat Norris, an activist in Vancouver’s Downside East Community: “It’s like being re-victimised again and they’re going to have to go through the whole media process and hearing his name again and being questioned.”
Sandra Gagnon’ sister, Janet Henry, visited Pickton’s farm and went missing in 1997.
She said: “It really disgusts me knowing that the worst serial killer in history has the nerve to write that book and reopen wounds.”
In a statement, the province’s Minster for Public Safety, Mike Morris, said: “It’s not right that a person who caused so much harm and hurt so many people could profit from his behaviour.”
Pickton is not the first convicted killer in Canada to write a book whilst imprisoned, as he follows in the footsteps of Paul Bernardo, the serial killer who reportedly wrote a book which also appeared on Amazon last year.
