There has been some remarkable testimony earlier this week at the inquiry in Vancouver that's looking into the police handling of the Robert Pickton case. The step-mother of one of Pickton's victims testified that she had essentially put all the pieces of the case together about three years before Pickton was arrested. And she did it largely by talking to prostitutes in Vancouver's downtown east side.

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Today's guest host was Jim Brown in Calgary.

Part One of The Current

Satire

It's Friday, October 28th.

According to Statistics Canada, many Canadians are waiting longer to retire.

And by many, the agency means the four guys who chose to fill out the questionnaire.

This is the Current.

The Story of Marnie Frey

One of those missing women was Marnie Frey. And her stepmother - Lynn Frey - found her way to Robert Pickton's farm long before police descended on it. Pickton was arrested in 2002, and convicted in 2007 of murdering Marnie and five other women. He says he killed 49 in all.

Critics say many of those deaths could have been prevented ... that police could - and should - have stopped Pickton much earlier. Lynn Frey got so frustrated with police that she set out to find out what had happened to her stepdaughter herself ... a search that led her directly to Pickton's farm gates. She told her story this week to the B.C. Missing Women's Commission of Inquiry, which is looking into police handling of the Pickton case.

Lynn Frey and her husband Rick Frey - Marnie's father - joined us from Vancouver today.

We requested a response from the Vancouver Police Department and the RCMP. A spokesperson for the Vancouver Police told us the VPD was withholding comment out of respect for the inquiry process. The spokesperson said the police will respond to testimony given by the family members of Pickton's victims later on in the inquiry. The RCMP is also declining to comment and give interviews at this time.

Related Links:

• Victim's impact statement by Rick Frey, father of Marnie Frey
• Desperate stepmom tracked serial killer Pickton By: Erica Bulman - QMI Agency
• Stepmom of Pickton victim speaks out By: Suzanne Fournier - The Province
• Details of errors made at cremation rattle victims' families at Pickton probe By: Robert Matas - Globe and Mail
• Police ignored 'bad-date' sheets, Pickton inquiry told By: Robert Matas - Globe and Mail
  

Other segments from today's show:

• Sino-Forest
• Paul Martin on Natural Capital