Family members of all six of the victims in the first murder trial of Robert William Pickton have been subpoenaed to appear as witnesses, CBC News has learned.

'Pickton was charged in 2002. This is 2007. Does it take them five years to figure out that we're going to be possible witnesses?'-Rick Frey

Pickton is facing six counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of six women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside: Sereena Abotsway, Mona Wilson, Andrea Joesbury, Brenda Wolfe, Georgina Papin and Marnie Frey.

The trial is scheduled to begin on Monday in New Westminster, B.C.

Pickton is also charged in the deaths of 20 other women. Those cases will be heard separately, because the judge ruled earlier it would be too complicated and take too long to hear all the cases in one trial.

All of the alleged victims are women who went missing from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside over a period of years, where many of them had worked in the sex trade.

'I don't know if I can handle it, but I want to hear it'

Lynn and Rick Frey, Marnie Frey's stepmother and biological father, told CBC News on Friday they were absolutely devastated by the news.

They got wind of the development early in the week when B.C. Victim's Services contacted them to say they were losing their travel funding to sit in on some of the trial.

Rick Frey said he was served with a subpoena on Wednesday to appear as a witness, which he called a slap in the face.

"Pickton was charged in 2002. This is 2007," he said. "Does it take them five years to figure out that we're going to be possible witnesses? I mean that's a little bit far-fetched, I would believe."

Lynn Frey said she will go to court Monday and hopes to be allowed to sit in one of the 55 seats reserved especially for families of the victims.

"I want to know what happened to Marnie," she said. "I don't know if I can handle it, but I want to hear it."

It will be up to Justice James Williams to decide whether the usual rules around witnesses sitting in the courtroom before they give evidence will be waived in this case.