The Verdict And The Final Goodbye

It's hard to believe that this trial is about to wrap it up after 10 months of arguing Pickton’s involvement with the six counts for murder. I watched the clock as the judge finished charging the jury, 4:30-5 p.m. All I could think about was, “What if he gets off?"

Could the Crown have done a better job? The arguments between the Defence and Crown are too close for comfort - which way will it go? Will the police pick up Dinah Taylor, Pat Casanova and Lynn Ellingsen for being involved with the murders?

You could see the lawyers were restless, and so was everyone else. It was hard hearing what Judge Williams had to say at times because people couldn’t sit still or they were whispering between each other. I sat waiting patiently, sitting still with my ‘elephant ears’ (as Lynn Ellingsen calls it), trying hard not to miss anything.

Trying to understand what Judge Williams was talking about was also difficult for me because I had so many things running through my head. I couldn’t even take notes anymore and I found it repetitive. (So did others... I noticed them nodding off.) I was prepared to nudge certain media people if they started snoring during their cat naps. Myself, I was too full of anxiety to fall asleep.

I was surprised after Judge Williams finished and Defence lawyer Peter Ritchie asked for a few minutes of the courts time to elaborate on the jobs well done of those behind the scenes. Gratitude went towards the public servants, the corrections, Sherriffs, Registrar, media and the public. Ritchie wanted the media to remember the families and how emotional this trial has been since 2002 when it all began.