'People listened': Mother of murdered Japanese student grateful for guilty verdict

The mother of murdered Japanese student NatsumiKogawa expressed relief and gratitudeafter a B.C. Supreme Court jury found William Schneider guilty of second-degree murder Friday.

EmikoKogawa said she would tellher daughtershe was heard.

"People listened. People understood you. It wasn't your fault," Kogawa said,in tears, throughher interpreter outside the courtroom.

The eight-woman, four-man jury deliberated for three days before reaching averdict.

Over the course of the two-week trial, the court heard sordid details of thecondition in which Kogawa, 30, was found dead in Vancouver's West End two years ago.

Her body was found hidden in a suitcaseoutside Gabriola Mansion, a historic building on Davie Street.

The discovery was made three weeks after she wentmissing, whenSchneider's brother, Warren Schneider Jr., tipped off police.

RCMParrested William Schneider, 51, in Vernon, B.C., on Sept. 28, 2016the same day they foundKogawa's body.

A 'difficult' trial

During the trial, Schneider pleaded guilty to the charge of interfering with human remains or offering an indignity to a dead bodyas lawyers were set to begin their final arguments.

However, Schneidermaintained his not-guilty plea to the second-degree murder charge.

Crown counselGeordieProulxsaid the jury made the right decision, notingthe trial was particularly hard on the Crown witnesses and the family of the deceased.

"We had the death of a young woman not associated in any way with any criminal lifestyle and she's found dead in a suitcase on the grounds of a mansion if that's not enough to make it difficult, I don't know what is,"Proulxsaid.

"It's not TV. It's real life."

The count of second-degree murder comes with a mandatory life sentence, with parole eligibility to be determined. The count of interfering with human body comes with a maximum five-year sentence.

Schneideris scheduled to be sentenced onNov. 1.

A caring daughter with 'big dreams'

EmikoKogawa attended every day of the trial. Through an interpreter shesaid she wanted people to see her daughter Natsumi as a caring, positive person.

"She was always the core member of the family that bonded us together," Kogawa said.

"She was open to everybody, very curious. She always wanted to learn more and had big dreams."

The mother and daughter spoke frequently, with Natsumiencouraging her mother to visit Vancouver, which she described as a beautiful city where "she was surrounded by wonderful people."

In theirlast conversation,Kogawa said her daughter encouragedher to go to bed because it was late in the evening in Japan.

Asked what she would like to say to her daughter today, Kogawasaid"Watch us from heaven."

With files from Rafferty Baker