Families of missing women say they still have no sense of closure or indication when their loved ones' remains will be returned despite the fact Robert Pickton's conviction for second-degree murder has been upheld by the B.C. Court of Appeal.

Susie Kinshella of Chilliwack said only a new trial on all charges could deliver the result she wants: a first-degree murder conviction for the death of her sister, Wendy Crawford.

But Crawford is among the 20 victims Pickton is charged with killing that were split off from the six that went to trial.

"I care that there's a guilty or not guilty on behalf of my sister and all the other families," Kinshella said.

Crown prosecutors repeated today they will not seek a new trial if Pickton's conviction on the six counts of second-degree murder stands.

"When you hear the evidence, that plays on your mind," Kinshella said, referring to the horrific scenes recounted by witnesses at the trial. "Reality hits home."

Kinshella said she suspects the decision not to take the case further boils down to money and the provincial government's priorities.

"The 2010 Olympics is coming to town and my personal feeling is they'd rather spend their money on that than go to court and get a [first-degree] murder charge against Pickton."

The appeal court ruling warns the cost of the first trial was enormous and to seek another that would serve no useful would be unreasonable.

Other relatives of victims say they remain lost and frustrated in the wake of the Appeal Court ruling, which still means further delay if Pickton appeals the case to the Supreme Court of Canada.

"We've got nothing," said Lynn Frey, stepmother of Marnie Frey, who was among the six women Pickton is convicted of killing.

"Same feeling we had when they first went missing."

The remains of the missing women found on Pickton's farm are not yet being released, pending the high court appeal and the potential of a new trial.

Frey wants Marnie's remains returned so her daughter can have a proper service.

"Why can't we get a hold of our loved ones' remains if he's already been tried for the first six?" she asked.

"We need closure."

The likelihood that Pickton will never be let out of jail doesn't help, she said.

"He's got a nice roof over his head," she said. "He's got food in his belly. He's got a nice little room. He's protected."

B.C. Supreme Court Justice James Williams sentenced Pickton in December 2007 to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years – more than the minimum 10 years before parole that's possible with a second-degree conviction murder.

Shelley Joseph, who lives in North Vancouver but is originally from Port Hardy, says her aunt, Janet Henry, has been missing 12 years.

No charges have been laid in connection with her disappearance, along with 37 other missing women.

"It's a Catch-22," Joseph said. "Everybody wants closure. And for the other 20 families, it's really tough."

Related:

• Conviction of serial killer Pickton upheld in split ruling