Audio of an interview police conducted with Natsumi Kogawa's accused killer has been released as the jury deliberates on the case.
The interview took place at a pre-trial centre on Oct. 18, 2016, about three weeks after William Victor Schneider was arrested in connection with the 30-year-old Japanese student's untimely death.
In the recording, police offer Schneider a chance to "say what you want to say to … Natsumi's family" or to his own loved ones.
"There's nothing to say … I just want this over, uh, as soon as possible," Schneider replies.
The interview does not shed much light on Kogawa's fate. Police found her dead inside a suitcase on the grounds of the Gabriola Mansion in Vancouver on Sept. 28 that year; Schneider's trial heard he revealed the location of her body to his brother, who relayed the information to police.
But even after the missing student's remains were found, coroners were unable to determine a cause of death. The court heard Kogawa had two prescription sedatives in her system – zopiclone and lorazepam – but toxicology tests were unable to determine precise levels because of her state of decomposition.
During Schneider's interview with police, he describes meeting Kogawa in a library, where they bonded over a book about beer. He said they continued to arrange meetings via email.
"We met, we met, and then we continued to meet. And it … suddenly got very, very heated and, and then went wrong," he tells police in the recording.
It's unclear what he means by "wrong," and he does not specify when asked to elaborate.
Schneider was homeless at the time, but told the officers he never revealed to Kogawa that he was staying in a shelter. He said they wanted to have sex, so he proposed that they meet in a tent.
"How did she die?" police ask.
"I actually don't know if she die—if her heart went or if it was her breath," Schneider replies.
"I stepped out … of the tent for a smoke, and then, oh, my God. I didn't think she was at that time. I didn't think so."
Schneider is charged with second-degree murder and interfering with human remains. He pleaded not guilty to both counts, but surprised the court Monday by changing his plea on interference charge to guilty shortly before closing arguments began.
Kogawa's mother, Emiko Kogawa, came to Vancouver to attend trial, and was at times seen breaking down in tears in court. Speaking through an interpreter Tuesday, she told CTV News the ordeal has been extremely difficult for her and her five sons in Japan.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Ben Miljure
