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Man found guilty of killing Japanese exchange student living in Burnaby

A B.C. Supreme Court jury has found William Schneider guilty of the second-degree murder of Burnaby resident Natsumi Kogawa two years ago. The jury began deliberating Tuesday after a three-week trial for the 51-year-old man.
japan student
Burnaby RCMP released still images in September of William Schneider with missing Japanese student Natsumi Kogawa whose body was found in Vancouver's West End on Sept. 28. Schneider has been charged with second degree murder in her death. Photograph By SUBMITTED

A B.C. Supreme Court jury has found William Schneider guilty of the second-degree murder of Burnaby resident Natsumi Kogawa two years ago.

The jury began deliberating Tuesday after a three-week trial for the 51-year-old man.

At the end of the evidence portion of the trial, Schneider pleaded guilty to a charge of interfering with human remains.

His defence lawyer, Joe Doyle, said Schneider admitted to putting the 30-year-old woman's body in a suitcase but he didn't killer her.

A pathologist told the jury during the trial that she couldn't determine a cause of death and there were no bruises, injuries or DNA evidence linking Schneider to the death of the Japanese exchange student.

The body of the missing student was found on the grounds of an empty heritage mansion in Vancouver's west end shortly after she was reported missing in September 2016.

Before her death, Kogawa, who had been in B.C. studying English, was last seen by a friend near the North Burnaby home where she had been staying.

Her disappearance was first reported by Vancouver police but her file was transferred to Burnaby RCMP since she lived in the city.

At the time, Mounties said there was nothing to suggest Kogawa’s disappearance was suspicious.

Mounties later released still images from video taken before she was reported missing.

  • With files from Canadian Press and NOW reporter Cornelia Naylor