1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,240 Welcome to The Dark Mind Detective, where we uncover the 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:08,200 shadows, explore the truth that many fear to face. 3 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,520 I'm Mark, an investigative journalist, podcaster, and 4 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,280 storyteller dedicated to exploring the darkest corners of 5 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:18,320 human behavior in the criminal underworld. 6 00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:23,200 With a background in examining cases of serial killers, 7 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:27,440 organized crime, systemic failures, I strive to shed light 8 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,120 on the stories that often go unheard. 9 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,160 You may know me from Vancouver True Crime, where I've taken you 10 00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:37,720 through gripping stories of violence, corruptions, and 11 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,920 injustice. Now, I'm relaunching with a 12 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:45,040 renewed purpose on the Dark Mind Detective platform, bringing you 13 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:49,320 deeper into the disturbing realities that shape our world. 14 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:54,280 This series, Picked and Land Behind the Scenes, will provide 15 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:59,200 exclusive commentary, unanswered questions, and raw insights into 16 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,640 one of Canada's most horrifying criminal cases. 17 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:10,720 Together, we'll explore how the system failed countless victims 18 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:16,760 and allowed monsters to thrive. Beyond true crime, I'm 19 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:20,200 passionate about investigating the societal breakdowns that 20 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:25,760 enable these dark realities. My work continues to confront 21 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:30,480 uncomfortable truths. I also aim to spark discussions 22 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:35,600 on human resilience, self mastery, and the pursuit of 23 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:42,760 light, Immense darkness. This relaunch marks a pivotal 24 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:44,800 chapter for the Dark Mind Detective. 25 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:49,040 Wherever you're a long time listener or just discovering the 26 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,640 platform, I invite you to join me as we seek justice, question 27 00:01:53,640 --> 00:02:00,120 the narrative, and honor the stories of those who can no 28 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,040 longer speak for themselves. Welcome to the dark mind 29 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,360 detective. The investigation begins now. 30 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,440 Before I begin, I want to let you know I've been writing a 31 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:14,640 book and it's called Welcome to Picton Land. 32 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:19,960 It's based on extensive research and chilling truth. 33 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,960 Welcome to Pictonland pulls back the curtain on one of the 34 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,720 darkest chapters of Canadian history. 35 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:35,120 This immersive, fact based story takes readers into a world where 36 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:40,080 the most violent predators thrive, a world that operated in 37 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,680 plain sight. From the decaying streets of the 38 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,840 Vancouver Downtown East Side to the twisted empire of Piggy 39 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:54,760 Palace, it exposed a corrupt system that loud evil to 40 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:59,400 flourish through vivid storytelling and relentless 41 00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:04,760 investigation. Welcome the Picton Land is more 42 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:06,800 than just a story of one man's crime. 43 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,320 It's A reckoning, a reminder of the lives lost. 44 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:15,880 The voice is silence and the questions that still remain. 45 00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:20,320 Join me on the Dark Mind Detective podcast where I'll 46 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:24,640 read exclusive excerpts, share behind the scenes insights 47 00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:27,400 leading up to the books released this summer. 48 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:32,600 Warning, this series is not for the faint of heart. 49 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:39,480 Before I dive into the dark, harrowing story, let me 50 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,400 introduce myself. My name is Mark. 51 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,960 I am a podcaster, an investigative journalist, and I 52 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,640 take a different approach to my work. 53 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,520 Methodical, forensic and relentless. 54 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,600 I don't just report on stories, I deconstruct them. 55 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:02,120 I strip away the PR spin and I dig until I uncover the raw, 56 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,960 unfiltered truth. The truth is often ugly, 57 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,560 disturbing and deeply uncomfortable. 58 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:16,959 But it is necessary. The case of Robert Willie Picton 59 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:22,200 is one of the most horrific, complex and disgraceful crimes 60 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:27,800 in Canadian history. Yet despite the grotesque nature 61 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:33,400 of his crime, the bigger question remains, how was this 62 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:40,080 man who made no effort to hide his atrocity, allowed to operate 63 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:46,160 with impunity for decades in a country that prides itself on 64 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:51,800 law and order and human rights? Canada presents itself to the 65 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:56,480 world as a beacon of justice and morality, quick to point fingers 66 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:01,520 at human right abuses abroad. But what greater human right 67 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:07,080 violation exists than the systemic murder of marginalized 68 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:13,040 women on an illegal? The hypocrisy is staggering, and 69 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:18,280 this story exposes the cracks and want to Canada's carefully 70 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:24,520 curated image. 20 years ago, this case cost the taxpayer over 71 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:29,400 $100 million. Adjusted for inflation, it's 72 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:35,240 nearly $200 million today, and another 20 million was spent on 73 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:39,680 a so-called inquiry. Yet the conditions that allow 74 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,440 these murders to happen remain unchanged. 75 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:46,360 In fact, by many accounts, things have only gotten worse. 76 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:50,760 The Downtown East side of Vancouver, once Picton's hunting 77 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:55,880 ground, is even more dangerous, with more predators, more drugs, 78 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:58,840 more vulnerable people left unprotected. 79 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,680 This is a pattern we see time and time again. 80 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,160 Atrocities happen. Warning signs are ignored. 81 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,880 Frontline workers, police officers, social workers, 82 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:15,280 activists burn themselves out trying to stop the inevitable. 83 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:20,320 Meanwhile, bureaucrats, politicians and PR experts bury 84 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:25,360 the truth under carefully crafted statements designed to 85 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:27,880 maintain the illusion of public safety. 86 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:33,000 And then when the horror is finally exposed, they gaslight 87 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,520 the public with inquiries and official reports that lead to 88 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:38,920 nothing. I spent a year of my life 89 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:41,520 obsessively researching this case. 90 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:45,160 Thousands of hours of combing through legal documents, media 91 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:51,120 reports, first hand accounts and what I found was more than just 92 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:56,920 the story of a lone killer. Picton was no criminal 93 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:00,200 mastermind. He was not the Zodiac Killer. 94 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:06,600 By all accounts. He was a uneducated, low IQ 95 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:11,240 butcher who flaunted his crimes in plain sight while authorities 96 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:17,360 did nothing. He was part of a of a much 97 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,680 larger, insidious criminal ecosystem that thrived in full 98 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,360 view of those who should have stopped it. 99 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:31,080 His pig farm, if you could even call that grotesque landfill. 100 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:37,440 A farm wasn't just a killing ground, it was a hub of illegal 101 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:41,920 activity, underground fights, bootlegging, drugs, 102 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:46,840 prostitutions, connections that stretched far beyond the 103 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:51,640 so-called low lifes of society. The infamous Piggy Palace. 104 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:56,640 Good time Society wasn't just the seedy party spot attracted 105 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:00,040 bikers, gangsters, businessmen and even politicians. 106 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:05,960 People from every walk of life attended those events, some just 107 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:11,040 looking for a party and others seeking far darker forms of 108 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:16,400 entertainment. Now ask yourself, how long do 109 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:20,040 you think you could run an illegal underground operation in 110 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:23,320 your own backyard before authorities came knocking? 111 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:28,440 Imagine trying to host illegal dogfights, unsanctioned parties, 112 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:32,000 trafficking illicit substances out of your garage. 113 00:08:32,799 --> 00:08:35,200 How quickly do you think it would be shut down? 114 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:39,679 Yet Dicton's operation ran for decades unchecked. 115 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:46,480 Vancouver's Lower Mainland wasn't just home of one predator 116 00:08:46,560 --> 00:08:49,480 during Picton's reign, it was infested with them. 117 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:55,800 While the public was fed a sanitized narrative of a single 118 00:08:55,800 --> 00:09:02,600 minded pig farmer who preyed on women no one cared about, even 119 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:08,160 deeper, more horrifying reality was was deliberately obscured. 120 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:13,480 Through the series I will reconstruct the truth, not the 121 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:18,520 official media pro version, but a raw and unfiltered retelling 122 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:22,680 of what really happened. For legal and ethical reasons, 123 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:27,880 in my book I'm writing, I change the names and reframe parts of 124 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:34,320 the story in a narrative format. Not this is not, but to protect 125 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:36,560 those who've already suffered enough. 126 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,120 The story is dark. It is disturbing. 127 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:46,880 It will take you to places that will make you question 128 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:50,840 everything you thought you knew about justice, power and 129 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:56,320 morality. If at any point it becomes 130 00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:04,080 overwhelming, take a step back. These were real people. 131 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:09,000 They mattered. And despite how society treated 132 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:13,000 them in life, they deserve our respect and death. 133 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:20,880 For the families, for the frontline workers, for those who 134 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:26,280 fought tirelessly to bring truth to light, you have my deepest 135 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:31,720 respect. Without you, we would still be 136 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:36,640 at the mercy of monsters like Robert Picton and his associates 137 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:41,800 who murdered not just for profit, but for pleasure. 138 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,440 This is their story and the gig is up. 139 00:10:46,560 --> 00:10:51,800 And I just want to say this. You want immunity for justice. 140 00:10:53,880 --> 00:11:00,480 You want immunity from justice. Stay silent, stay small, stay 141 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:06,560 still. Just don't wonder why your life 142 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:11,720 echoes with hollowness of risk never taken. 143 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:18,400 The only way to avoid criticism is to make your existence so 144 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:21,760 unremarkable it goes unchallenged. 145 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,560 Is an unchallenged life worth claiming as your own? 146 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:31,960 The crafters of tomorrow, The critics of yesterday. 147 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:39,720 The power to redefine reality. Creation is rebellion. 148 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:44,280 When innovators dare to reimagine the world, they 149 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:48,080 shatter the illusion meticulously constructed by 150 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:52,520 those in power. Governments create curate 151 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:58,200 narratives, media empire spinning tales, marketers 152 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:03,880 selling dreams, and influencers peddling influence. 153 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:12,040 A solitary visionary armed with an idea that defies the status 154 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:18,840 quo can unravel decades of conditioned thought. 155 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:25,400 But ask yourself, is truth absolute or merely a mirror 156 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:34,520 reflecting what we we've been trained to see inhabit an age of 157 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:38,280 spectators? Critics, armed with keyboards 158 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:43,360 and cynicisms, amassed followers by dismantling what they refused 159 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:47,880 to build. Authors bleed into pages for 160 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:51,240 years. Podcaster sculpt ideas through 161 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:57,320 sleepless nights in Artists sacrifice sanity for strokes of 162 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:02,040 genius, yet their work face judgement from voices hidden 163 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:09,360 behind the screens who reduce a lifetime of laborers to a 164 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:14,160 comment section punchline. Even creators desperate for 165 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:19,320 survival in this arena chase hollow validation. 5 star 166 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:24,400 ratings become the currency of the credible traded like 167 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:28,680 counterfeit coins. Whose voice matters? 168 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:35,600 The one who risk failures to burst something new, or the one 169 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:40,120 who stands on the sidelines shouting directions without ever 170 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,120 running the race? This isn't a plea for an 171 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:49,320 agreement. It's a challenge to interrogate. 172 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:53,720 Question the critics motive. Question the creator's 173 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:58,480 obsession. Question the system that profits 174 00:13:58,560 --> 00:14:04,600 from your complacency. I don't seek your allegiance. 175 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:10,360 I demand your curiosity. Why do I champion the misfits, 176 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:14,960 the disruptors, the ones who burn bridges to light the way 177 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:19,920 forward? Because history isn't written by 178 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:26,520 those who critique the storm, it is forged by those brave enough 179 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:32,120 to dance in the rain. Think not harder, but freer. 180 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:36,680 The next time you encounter an idea that unsettles you, don't 181 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,720 dismiss it. Dissect it. 182 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:45,920 Ask not Is this wrong? But why does this feel 183 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:50,680 dangerous? That uncomfort, that sound of 184 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:54,360 old walls cracking? Let it in. 185 00:14:54,640 --> 00:15:00,000 The next time you encounter an idea that unsettles you, don't 186 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:03,280 dismiss it. Dissect it. 187 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:09,800 Ask not Is this not wrong? Why does it feel dangerous, that 188 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,200 discomfort? Is it the sounds of old walls 189 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:15,440 cracking? Let it in. 190 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:19,480 This powerful settlement resonates deeply with my own 191 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:24,960 journey in exploring the often unsettling realities of our 192 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:29,040 world. Our perception of reality is is 193 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:36,200 indeed largely shaped by media, government and social norms, by 194 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:41,400 repeat of narratives solidifying into seamlessly unshakable 195 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:45,720 truths. The question then arises, is 196 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:51,640 challenging these established reality the most act a person 197 00:15:52,480 --> 00:16:01,000 can undertake? My Exploration My exploration 198 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:09,160 began and 2019 with Vancouver True Crime, driven by desire to 199 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:14,720 advocate and raise awareness for missing people, particularly 200 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:21,840 missing Indigenous women and others often overlooked news. 201 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,960 Connecting with grieving families was a profound 202 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:30,600 experience, underscoring the importance of this work. 203 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:35,360 However, the social media landscape, a strange reality in 204 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:39,720 itself, presented unexpected challenges. 205 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:48,000 The anonymity is often seemed to unleash a torrent of negativity, 206 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:54,400 with individuals engaging in vile arguments, proudly labeling 207 00:16:54,400 --> 00:17:00,240 themselves as shit posters. Witnessing this after investing 208 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:06,359 countless hours into researching dark and disturbing cases, 209 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:11,480 trying to give a voice to victims and their families felt 210 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:15,880 disheartening. I came to see this nihilistic 211 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:21,200 behavior as perhaps a symptoms of a broader societal 212 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:27,400 disruption, particularly since the 2020 pandemic, which our 213 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:32,880 government have largely failed to address, sometimes even 214 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:40,320 exasperating the issues. But this led to the evolution of 215 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:44,160 my platform into the Dark Mind detective. 216 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:49,960 My focus shifted to confronting the darker aspect of our world, 217 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:55,560 deconstructing carefully constructive narratives around 218 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:59,920 the complex cases. I recognize life is on a 219 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:04,320 spectrum Shades of Grey, light and darkness. 220 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:11,200 In my research, which includes over 150 serial killers, 221 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:16,560 thousands of missing person cases, I consistently 222 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:21,320 encountered gatekeepers in high profile cases. 223 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:28,960 These individuals were ever in the media or within advocacy 224 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:34,240 groups, often believe there are protectors of a particular 225 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:40,800 narrative, sometimes to the detriment of the broader 226 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:47,040 understanding and even justice. I found these gatekeepers 227 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:49,680 incredibly frustrating to navigate. 228 00:18:50,360 --> 00:18:55,960 Even a minor disagreement can be met with extreme hostility, 229 00:18:56,440 --> 00:19:01,600 leading to smear campaigns and the undermining of one's work. 230 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:11,640 I prioritize my independent research, seeking to avoid 231 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:15,560 external influence and for my own conclusion. 232 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:21,440 My goal is not to force my perspective, but to persuade 233 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:27,640 through diligent research and fact checking, hoping to offer a 234 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:31,400 compelling viewpoint. I remain open to new 235 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:36,920 information, understanding the limitations of our knowledge, 236 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:40,840 especially regarding historical events. 237 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:47,240 Ultimately, I believe these stories are crucial to tell, and 238 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:52,920 to the gatekeepers, I must say I believe your approach often does 239 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:54,640 more harm than good.