Robert Pickton was born on October 24, 1949, to Leonard Francis Pickton (1896–1977) and Louise Helene Arnal (1912–1979), a family of pig farmers in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, located 27 kilometers (17 miles) east of Vancouver. Pickton's older sister, Linda Louise Wright, was sent to live with relatives in Vancouver, as their parents believed the pig farm was not a suitable environment for a young girl. Robert and his younger brother, David Francis Pickton, started working on the farm at a young age under the demanding supervision of their mother, who prioritized the pigs over the boys' personal hygiene and made them work long hours caring for the livestock.

Louise often sent the boys to school in dirty clothes that smelled of manure, earning them the nickname "stinky piggy" from their classmates. Robert was deeply attached to his mother and had little interaction with his abusive father. He struggled academically and was placed in a special class after failing grade two. At the age of 12, he raised a calf as a pet, only to find it slaughtered in the barn two weeks later, leaving him distraught.

Pickton dropped out of school in 1963 and worked as a meat cutter for nearly seven years before returning to work full-time on the farm. In 1978 and 1979, after the death of their parents, the siblings inherited the pig farm and sold parts of it for C$5.16 million. Bill Hiscox, a worker on the farm, described it as a "creepy-looking place" guarded by a 600-pound boar and characterized Pickton as a "pretty quiet guy, hard to strike up a conversation with," whose occasional bizarre behavior, despite no evidence of substance abuse, attracted attention.

On March 23, 1997, Pickton faced charges for the attempted murder of sex worker Wendy Lynn Eistetter, whom he had stabbed several times during an altercation at his farm. Eistetter told police that Pickton had handcuffed her, and she managed to escape after sustaining multiple lacerations. She also mentioned disarming him and stabbing him with his weapon. Pickton sought medical treatment at Eagle Ridge Hospital, while Eistetter recovered at the nearest emergency room. 

Pickton was released on a C$2,000 bond, and the attempted-murder charge was dropped on January 27, 1998, due to concerns about Eistetter’s drug addiction and her perceived instability as a witness. David Pickton, Robert's brother, was convicted of sexual assault in 1992 and received a fine of C$1,000 and 30 days' probation. He had attacked a woman in his trailer at the pig farm, but she managed to escape. Additionally, Robert Pickton was sued three times for traffic offenses between 1988 and 1991, settling all claims out of court.

The Pickton brothers were eventually sued by Port Coquitlam officials for violating zoning ordinances by neglecting the farm's agricultural purpose and modifying a large farm building to host dances and concerts. They had registered a non-profit charity, the Piggy Palace Good Times Society, in 1996 to manage these events, which included raves and parties attracting up to 2,000 people, including members of the Hells Angels. Despite legal pressure, they held a New Year's Eve party in 1998, leading to an injunction against future events and the removal of the society's non-profit status the following year due to failure to produce financial statements.

On February 6, 2002, police executed a search warrant for illegal firearms at the Pickton property. Both Pickton brothers were arrested, and a second warrant was issued, allowing a search of the farm as part of the BC Missing Women Investigation. Personal items belonging to missing women were found, and the farm was sealed off by a task force. Pickton was charged with weapons offenses and later released, though Robert remained under surveillance. On February 22, 2002, Robert Pickton was re-arrested and charged with the first-degree murders of Sereena Abotsway and Mona Wilson, with more charges following for other victims, eventually totaling 27 counts of murder by May 26, 2005.

Excavations at the farm continued through November 2003, costing an estimated C$70 million. Forensic analysis was challenging due to the decomposition and consumption of bodies by pigs. Heavy equipment was used to search for human remains. In 2004, it was revealed that Pickton may have ground up human flesh and mixed it with pork sold to the public, prompting a health warning. Claims were also made that he fed bodies directly to his pigs. Lab testing in 2004 showed the DNA of two women on items seized during the investigation.

Pickton's trial began on January 30, 2006, where he pleaded not guilty to 27 charges of first-degree murder. The voir dire phase took most of the year to determine admissible evidence. On December 9, 2007, Pickton was found guilty of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole for 25 years. The remaining 20 charges were stayed on August 4, 2010, to avoid burdening the jury.

The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed Pickton's appeal on July 30, 2010, affirming his convictions. The Vancouver Police Department later issued a public apology for their handling of the investigation. An inquiry chaired by Wally Oppal examined the role of police in the disappearances and murders, leading to the formation of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2016. Pickton was transferred to a federal penitentiary and later to Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec. On May 19, 2024, he was attacked by another prisoner and died from his injuries on May 31.