Martin Charest, the man accused of murdering serial killer Robert Pickton, plans to plead guilty to first-degree murder. Charest made this announcement through his attorney on Wednesday. He appeared via videoconference at the Sept-Îles, Quebec, courthouse from a prison in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, accompanied by his lawyer, Sonia Bogdaniec.

Prosecutor Mélissa Hogan noted that the conditions on Wednesday were not suitable for officially recording Charest's plea. She provided this information in an email. Judge Jean-Louis Lemay has set the plea hearing for September 25.

The incident occurred on May 19, 2024, when Charest allegedly attacked the then 74-year-old Pickton at Quebec's Port-Cartier maximum security prison. The assault took place in a common area while Charest was collecting his medication. An independent observer's report indicated that Charest used a broken broomstick to strike Pickton in the face. Following the attack, Pickton was airlifted to a hospital in Quebec City.

Pickton succumbed to his injuries nearly two weeks after the assault. Charest was charged with first-degree murder in July 2025. Pickton had been convicted in 2007 on six counts of second-degree murder but was suspected of killing many more women at his pig farm in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia.