Prior to giving his testimony at the B.C. missing women’s inquiry, Don Larson admitted to feeling “nervous” and “out of place”.

By the end, however, his calm and measured cross-examination of former Vancouver police detective Kim Rossmo won praise and thanks from the commissioner himself.

“It takes great courage to do what he’s done,” Wally Oppal said today (January 26) of Larson, founder of Downtown Eastside group Crab-Water for Life Society.

Oppal also noted that Larson had been “accommodating” and never got angry during his time on the stand. He also noted that, as an activist, Larson’s voice was welcome at an inquiry he said is “not just all lawyers”, as would be the case with a trial.

Don Larson talks about appearing at the missing women's inquiry.

As he read slowly from his prepared submission, Larson noted, “Our small grassroots independent Crab-Water for Life Society was, to my knowledge, the first group to try to respond actively to the news that dozens of Downtown Eastside women were missing.”

Larson claimed he had sent many letters to the Vancouver Police Department raising the issue of the need for better police investigation of the murdered women. Larson also claimed he had two awkward meetings with police at 312 Main Street “under stressful and less than optimal conditions”. Rossmo said he remembered the letters from Larson’s group, but said he never remembered a meeting with Larson, but suggested he had spoken with him by telephone.

Later on during his testimony, Larson asked Rossmo whether he felt a prejudice existed in the VPD against urban aboriginals and sex-trade workers. Rossmo conceded that, in a career that spanned more than 20 years, “there will be individuals [in the VPD] that have biases” against certain people. However, Rossmo said he felt these biases did not play a role in the investigation of the missing women.

Today is the last day Rossmo will be on the stand.

Don Larson shares his thoughts on the possible outcomes of the missing women's inquiry.