The man accused of killing a Japanese student in Vancouver surprised a courtroom on Monday by changing his plea right before closing arguments began.
William Victor Schneider entered a guilty plea to interference with human remains in connection with the death of Natsumi Kogawa in 2016. He had previously said he was not guilty of the charge, but on Monday morning, he changed his plea.
His decision was announced right before Crown counsel began its closing arguments.
Schneider has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, and maintained in court that he did not kill her.
Kogawa, who was studying English in Vancouver, was killed in September 2016. Her naked body was then stuffed into a suitcase. Her remains were found on the grounds of the Gabriola House mansion two years ago, about two weeks after she was reported missing.
Her cause of death was never determined, and police were not able to figure out where she died.
The defence says Kogawa died suddenly while with Schneider. He panicked, and instead of calling police, he tried to hide her body.
Earlier in the trial, the court heard the accused tried to end his own life after confessing he'd done "something bad."
His brother testified last month that as police investigated Kogawa's disappearance, Schneider revealed the location of Kogawa's body to him.
Warren Schneider Jr. said his brother planned to overdose on heroin, and asked him to relay the information to police after his death.
But Schneider survived the attempt, and his brother said he then went to police to tell them where to look for her body. Schneider was arrested in Vernon, B.C. the same day.
Both the Crown and defence finished their closing arguments Monday. Tuesday morning, the judge will give the jury their final instructions, then deliberations will begin.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Ben Miljure
