Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family

Warning: The following story contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some

The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.

"The guy that assaulted him stabbed him first with a toothbrush in the neck, and then he broke a broom handle," Rick Frey told CTV News on Friday, recounting allegations shared by his lawyer. "And when you break something like a broom handle, you always get a sharp end, and so he took the sharp end and he stuck it into his nose, up into his skull."

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One of Pickton's many victims, Rick's daughter Marnie Frey went missing in 1997 at age 24.

To stepmother Lynn Frey, Pickton's violent demise still pales in comparison to the pain he inflicted.

"I guess he suffered at the end somewhere along the line," she said. "But he still, in my view, hasn't suffered enough for all the deaths that he caused, all the women that are gone."

Pickton died Friday following a May 19 attack at a maximum security prison in Quebec. He was 74.

Officials described it as a "major assault" resulting in life-threatening injuries, but provided few specific details. A 51-year-old suspect remains incarcerated.

One of Canada's most prolific serial killers, Pickton lured women from Vancouver's troubled Downtown Eastside neighbourhood to his rural pig farm in nearby Port Coquitlam. Many were sex workers.

After being charged with the murders of 26 women, Pickton was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2007. The partial remains of 33 women were found on his farm and he bragged about killing a total of 49, one short of his grisly goal.

"There's not a day that goes by that we don't think about her," Lynn said. "And you know, I have a few of her remains. Hopefully they're her. I'm not 100 per cent guaranteed."

Marnie Frey was among Pickton's six confirmed victims. The Freys say many other families will never get the closure they did.

"At least we got a little bit of accountability from Marnie, but all the other families got nothing," Lynn said. "You know, there's a lot of families that never had their day in court and never will. And how can they? I can't imagine how they feel over this."

The Freys and other victims' families are now fighting the RCMP's plan to return or destroy thousands of pieces of evidence seized for the case.

"I would like to say that just because Pickton's gone doesn't mean that this case is over," Rick said.

"At the end of the day he's gone, you know, the families are suffering still," Lynn added. "I can't let it go. I can still fight, I mean the Downtown Eastside has never changed … It's just as bad now as it was 20 years ago when Marnie was down there. Has that changed? No. Has the drug thing changed? No. Will there be another serial killer? Absolutely."

With files from CTV National News Journalist Andrew Johnson and CTVNewsVancouver.ca Journalist Todd Coyne