Podcast
20/20
During the episode, Kana Whitworth introduced the book as Lorimer Shenher’s personal account of the botched investigation into Robert Pickton, noting that he began drafting it the day the search started in 2002. Shenher explained that the book detailed institutional reluctance within the RCMP to make decisions that could invite criticism, suggesting this culture may have endangered the case. The discussion highlighted the title’s focus on systemic failures and the potential manipulation of evidence.
Episode: Inside the Midnight Order - Ep. 5: 'Split Screen'
It was said to be Lorimer Schenherr's personal account of the failures of the investigation into Robert Pickton, and was written after the start of the search at the farm in 2002.
Lorimer, you're also the author of a book titled That Lonely Section of Hell, The Botched Investigation of a Serial Killer Who Almost Got Away.
And then when the search actually started on the Pickton farm in February 2002, I literally sat down that day and started banging out the first draft of the book.
The book obviously details this a lot, just my efforts to try to find out what was it that was thwarting this investigation or any investigation going forward.
What I've discovered is that there is a institutional wide awareness in the RCMP of not ever doing anything where they can be criticized, of making investigative choices even where they will be beyond public criticism versus making the right investigative choice.
And I believe that that could have contributed to the risk to Robert Pickton because I think that several people stood to benefit from the destruction of that evidence.