Canadian Press

(CP) - Some key dates in the case of more than 60 women missing from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside:

September 1978: Lillian Jean O'Dare, earliest known missing date on list, disappears from Downtown Eastside.

1991: Relatives of a growing list of missing women, along with advocates for sex-trade workers, establish annual Valentine's Day remembrance, press for tougher police investigation.

June 1997: Helen Hallmark reported missing.

September 1998: Vancouver police set up team to review files of as many as 40 women missing as far back as 1971.

January 1999: Jacqueline McDonell reported missing.

Sometime in 1999: Georgina Papin, Brenda Wolfe and Jennifer Furminger last seen.

April 1999: Vancouver police board posts $100,000 reward for information in missing women case.

March 2001: Patricia Johnson last seen in Downtown Eastside.

April 2001: Heather Bottomley reported missing.

August 2001: Sereena Abotsway reported missing.

September 2001: Vancouver police and RCMP form joint task force - Project Evenhanded - to replace city police stalled investigation.

October 2001: Diane Rock reported missing.

November 2001: Mona Wilson reported missing.

December 2001: Task force investigators travel to Seattle to interview Gary Ridgway, charged in four of 49 Green River homicides in Washington state.

January 2002: Task force adds five names to list, bringing total number of women missing to 50.

Feb. 5, 2002: RCMP officers, accompanied by missing-women task force members, enter property in suburban Port Coquitlam on firearms warrant.

Feb. 6, 2002: Task force officers use their own warrant to begin searching property for clues in missing women case.

Feb. 7, 2002: Robert Pickton, one of two brothers who own property along with sister, charged with weapons offences as search of property continued.

Feb. 22, 2002: Robert Pickton charged with two counts of first-degree murder - Sereena Abotsway and Mona Wilson.

April 2, 2002: Crown announces three more first-degree charges against Pickton - Diane Rock, Jacqueline McDonell and Heather Bottomley.

April 9, 2002: Sixth murder charge laid against Pickton - Andrea Joesbury.

April 23, 2002: Karin Joesbury, mother of Andrea, files lawsuits against Pickton, police, the province and the federal government in relation to Andrea's death.

May 22, 2002: Pickton charged with first-degree murder of Brenda Wolfe.

June 6, 2002: Police begin excavating Pickton properties with help of archeologists.

Sept. 19, 2002: Father of missing woman Marcie Creison files lawsuit against police, City of Vancouver, the province and the federal government over investigation.

Sept. 19, 2002: Pickton charged with four more murders - Georgina Papin, Helen Hallmark, Patricia Johnson and Jennifer Furminger. List of missing officially grows to 63.

Oct. 2, 2002: Pickton charged with murders of Heather Chinnock, Tanya Holyk, Sherry Irving and Inga Hall.

Jan. 13, 2003: Preliminary hearing begins in provincial court in Port Coquitlam.

July 21, 2003: Hearing concludes.

July 23, 2003: Judge David Stone commits Pickton for trial on 15 counts of first-degree murder.

Nov. 18, 2003: Investigators wrap up mass excavation and search of Pickton property.

Feb. 20, 2004: B.C. government reports investigation costs will likely run up to $70 million and that the money has been set aside in the provincial budget.

March 10, 2004: Health officials report they cannot rule out that human remains may have been in meat processed for human consumption at the Pickton property.

May 2005: Crown lays 12 more first-degree murder charges.

June 2005: Pre-trial hearings begin in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, under publication ban.

October 2005: Pre-trial hearings end.

Jan. 30, 2006: Legal arguments begin on admissibility of evidence.

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Some facts and figures regarding the case of accused serial killer Robert Pickton.

Who: Robert William Pickton, born Oct. 24, 1949.

Location: Pickton lived on seven-hectare property in Port Coquitlam owned by him, his brother and sister. He was involved in several businesses on the property.

Indictment: Pickton charged with 27 counts of first-degree murder, all involving women.

When: Twenty-seven counts on indictment include earliest charge dating to 1995; most recent to December 2001.

Preliminary hearing: January to July 2003 in provincial court; committed to stand trial.

Trial: Legal arguments to determine what evidence is admissible to start Jan. 30 under a publication ban.

© The Canadian Press 2006