Overview

• Martin Charest, 52, was charged July 3 with first-degree murder in Pickton’s May 2024 death and will appear in court Thursday.
• Pickton died May 31, 2024, after an assault at Port-Cartier Institution where Charest allegedly used a broken broom handle.
• The first-degree murder charge comes more than a year after the assault and subsequent investigations by Quebec police and federal correctional authorities.
• A July 6 board report identified unlocked cleaning supply rooms and insufficient tool controls as security breaches.
• Internal reviews and expert analyses are underway to guide reforms aimed at enhancing inmate safety and oversight.