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Former Vernon man guilty of Japanese exchange student’s murder

Natsumi Kogawa was found at empty heritage mansion shortly after she was reported missing in 2016
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The body of Natsumi Kogawa, 30, was found in the Gabriola Mansion on Davie Street in September 2016. (Vancouver Police Department)

A B.C. Supreme Court jury has found William Schneider guilty of the second-degree murder of 30-year-old 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.

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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.

(CKNW)

The Canadian Press

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