The judge at the Robert William Pickton trial had to call a short recess on Tuesday when some jurors became visibly shaken after viewing graphic evidence.

Justice James Williams issued a warning to jurors before they heard testimony from Dr. Dan Straathof, the pathologist that examined the remains of Sereena Abotsway, Mona Wilson and Andrea Joesbury.

"I expect there are going to be photographs before you … I expect that they would have the capacity to be upsetting," Williams said.

"There is not a great deal I can tell you, other than to forewarn you of that and indicate to you that it is just part of the task you signed on for."

The Crown then led Straathof through a book of graphic autopsy photos of the women's partial remains.

At least one juror seemed to be fighting tears throughout the testimony as Straathof spoke about each of the dozens of photos and what his findings were.

Less than an hour after court began, Justice Williams asked the jurors if they wanted to take a short break. Some of the jurors nodded. They then recessed for 10 minutes.

One of the most difficult moments for the jurors came when Crown prosecutor Mike Petrie pointed out that a metal hair clip could be seen on Abotsway's remains.

The remains were discovered as part of a search on the Pickton farm beginning in February 2002. 

Straathof was called to the farm on April 4, 2002, where he viewed the remains of Abotsway and Joesbury in a freezer in a garage on Pickton's farm. He conducted the autopsies on the remains the next day.

He was called back to the farm exactly two months later, after Wilson's remains were found in a garbage can in the slaughterhouse on the property, which was next to the trailer where Pickton lived.

Straathof testified the remains of all three women had been dismembered in the same fashion.

Women killed by gunshots: Straathof

He also testified he believed the cause of death of each of the three women was a gunshot to the head. Bullets were found with the remains of Abotsway and Wilson.

Wilson had been fatally shot in the back of the head and the bullet was found lodged in the brain tissue, he told the court.

Joesbury had also been shot in the rear of the head and the bullet exited through her left eye, he said. No bullet was recovered.

Although Wilson's remains were the most decomposed, Straathof said he could determine that the bullet caused her death.

The trial, in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, began in late January. Pickton has been charged in the deaths of Abotsway, Joesbury, Wilson, Marnie Frey, Georgina Papin and Brenda Wolfe, all women who went missing from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

In all, he is accused in the deaths of 26 women. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Another trial on the 20 other counts will be held later.

On Tuesday afternoon, Straathof also testified about his examination of the remains of the other three women who are part of the current trial. 

Examinations were done on Papin's hand bones, which were discovered in a pig pen in the slaughterhouse, and portions of Frey's and Wolfe's jawbones, found outside the same building. 

Jurors also heard about some heel and rib bones that were found, those of an unidentified woman, referred to as Jane Doe. Half of her skull was discovered in Mission in 1995 by the side of a highway.