The family of one of the women whose DNA was found on the Pickton property in Port Coquitlam has launched a lawsuit against the Vancouver Police Department and the RCMP.
Shari and Ryan Murdock, the children of Jacqueline Murdock, filed a notice of civil claim against the the province and the city of Vancouver, alleging police were aware or should have been aware that a serial predator was attacking sex workers in the Downtown Eastside. (They've also filed suit against Robert Pickton.)
"[The] VPD and RCMP failed to warn Jacqueline and others of the risk of a serial killer," said the document. "The failure to warn by VPD and RCMP was a contributing cause of Jacqueline's death and caused harm to the plaintiffs."
Pickton was never convicted in the death of Murdock but her DNA was found on the property in a similar manner to that of the six women he was convicted of killing.
In 2010, the Crown stayed the charges against Pickton for the murders of the remaining 20 women after he received a life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years for the murders of Sereena Abotsway, Marnie Frey, Andrea Joesbury, Georgina Papin, Mona Wilson and Brenda Wolfe.
Court documents describe Murdock as a "friendly and caring" person who enjoyed writing poetry. She lived in the Downtown Eastside and had contact with her children, who were raised by their grandparents in Prince George, while she battled addiction issues.
"Jacqueline always remained hopeful she would overcome her addiction and had made efforts to seek treatment and rehabilitation," said the notice of civil claim. "She intended to resume living with Shari and Ryan and caring for them once she had recovered."
Murdock was last seen leaving Prince George for Vancouver in November 1996 and was reported missing on Aug. 14, 1997.
Her missing person's file was closed in 1997, when police received erroneous information that she had been admitted to St. Paul's Hospital. When that information proved to be incorrect, the file was reopened in March 1998.
The Murdocks are seeking general, special, aggravated and punitive damages as well as costs. They are the sixth family to launch a lawsuit against the government, alleging police did not take the time to properly investigate the missing women's cases.
