Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton's memoir removed by Amazon

Murderer uses book to claim he was framed by police

Police asked Amazon to stop selling the memoir, along with Amazon users and family members (AP)

A memoir written by a Canadian serial killer serving life in prison has been removed from Amazon after victims' family members complained hours after it went on sale.

Robert Pickton was convicted in 2007 for murdering six women, some of whom he fed to pigs. Charges relating to the deaths of 20 other women were suspended.

The former multi-millionaire farmer, who is serving a life sentence, smuggled the book out via an inmate from the maximum security prison, Kent Institution, according to CTV News.

Police, Amazon users and family members requested the company stopped selling the memoir.

Officials in British Colombia said they would prevent the 66-year-old from profiting from sales of the memoir.

Titled Pickton: In His Own Words, the book was available for a few hours for $20.17 and was published by Outskirts Press, a Colorado-based company which helps self-publishing authors.

The BBC reported Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said an investigation had been launched into how Pickton’s manuscript was smuggled out of the prison.

Pickton outlines his innocence in the book and claims he was framed by Canadian police.

Speaking to CBC News, Kat Norris, an activist in Vancouver’s Downside East Community, said: “It’s like being re-victimised again and they’re going to have to go through the whole media process and hearing his name again and being questioned.”

Sandra Gagnon’s sister, Janet Henry, went missing in 1997 after visiting Pickton’s farm.

She said: “It really disgusts me knowing that the worst serial killer in history has the nerve to write that book and reopen wounds.”

In a statement, the province’s Minster for Public Safety, Mike Morris, said: “It’s not right that a person who caused so much harm and hurt so many people could profit from his behaviour.”

Outskirts Press have said they have ceased publication of this book and is asking Amazon to remove the book from their website.

"We have a long-standing policy of not working with, nor publishing work by, incarcerated individuals. Pickton was apparently aware of our no-tolerance policy when he devised a plan to publish through an unaffiliated third party, who claimed to Outskirts Press that he was the sole owner and author of said material.

"Outskirts Press apologises to the families of the victims for any additional heartache this may have caused."

Pickton is not the first convicted murderer in Canada to write a book whilst imprisoned. Serial killer Paul Bernardo eportedly wrote a book which also appeared on Amazon last year.