MIKE PETRIE, FORMER CROWN PROSECUTOR HERE IN CRANBROOK HAS DIED.
ONE OF THE LEAD CROWN ATTORNEY’S IN THE ROBERT PICTON TRIAL WHO WAS FEATURED IN THE GLOBE AND MAIL BACK IN 2007 AND GRABBED INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION AT THE TIME WAS MICHAEL PETRIE, A FORMER CROWN PROSECUTOR HERE IN CRANBROOK.
MIKE PETRIE PASSED AWAY EARLIER THIS WEEK, ON JAN. 5 OF COVID-19-LINKED PNEUMONIA, WEEKS BEFORE HIS 67TH BIRTHDAY.
A FEW DAYS LATER, HIS FAMILY SAID THEY RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HIS CARE HOME TELLING THEM HE WAS ON THE WAITLIST FOR THE COVID-19 VACCINE.
PETRIE FOUGHT MANY LEGAL BATTLES IN HIS 34-YEAR CAREER,
BUT NONE LOOMED LARGER THAN THE TRIAL THAT LED TO THE 2007 CONVICTION OF ROBERT “WILLY” PICKTON
ON SIX COUNTS OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER FOR THE SLAYING OF WOMEN FROM VANCOUVER’S DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE.
THE STORY READS, IN PART ‘
” DURING THE LONG PRELIMINARY HEARING IN 2003, MR. PETRIE SHOWED COMPASSION FOR THE FAMILIES OF THE MISSING WOMEN AND CROWN WITNESSES.
DURING COURT BREAKS, HE TOOK THE TIME TO EXPLAIN THE COMPLICATED AND LENGTHY PROCEEDINGS TO THE FAMILIES INVOLVED.
MR. PETRIE GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL IN 1978 AND BEGAN WORKING WITH THE CROWN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, FIRST IN THE PROVINCE’S EAST KOOTENAYS.
HE MOVED TO THE FRASER VALLEY IN 1988 AND WAS APPOINTED AS QUEEN’S COUNSEL BY ATTORNEY-GENERAL WALLY OPPAL IN DECEMBER OF 2006.
