Crown prosecutors say the desperate financial situation of suspect Kyle Pietz prompted him to steal and dispose of Eduardo Balaquit’s body nearly four years ago. Defense attorneys argued that evidence presented during a month -long trial could only prove theft.
Kyle Pietz was charged with manslaughter.
Eduardo Balaquit was 59 years old when he was last seen on June 4, 2018 at his workplace. He was a night janitor for a company in Winnipeg, Westcon Equipment and Rentals, for 22 years. His body was never found.
Eduardo Balaquit died at a cost of $ 700Crown prosecutor Brent Davidson told the jury on Tuesday.
He said Kyle Pietz was desperate for money because he was unemployed, in debt and owed large amounts to lenders.
The latter worked on Westcon Equipment and Rentals until the beginning of May 2018.
Prosecutors accused the defendant of stealing $ 1,700 cash from a safe, weeks before Eduardo Balaquit disappeared. Shortly after the robbery, Kyle Pietz quit his job.
Defense attorney Amanda Sansregret said her client quit her job because she was frustrated and wanted to change careers.
Brent Davidson also said that on the last day Mr. Balaquit was found alive, Kyle Pietz had calls from lenders because he was behind payments.
He has no income to attend to and only fees to be paid, Mr Davidson said. You can almost feel the rise of financial desperation with every call.
The Crown argues that Kyle Pietz’s financial situation brought him to his former job because it was an easy target.
Mr. Balaquit is targeted personally or as a means of entering the buildinglaunched Mr. Davidson.
Credit card theft
The Crown alleges that Kyle Pietz stole Eduardo Balaquit’s bank cards and that he died while the theft was taking place.
The accused also allegedly placed the victim’s body in his sport utility vehicle and covered it with boxes to take it to a rural area.
During the investigation, Kyle Pietz explained to police that he passed by his former workplace when he saw Eduardo Balaquit outside pulling out trash bags. He told police he talked to it and asked him for cardboard boxes.
No one testified that they saw the two men together that night.
Defense attorney Amanda Sansregret said the Crown’s claim that it was a financial crime was just speculation.
Many people have money problems. Money problems are a common thing. That’s not a reason to kill a janitorhe told the jury.
The jury had earlier heard officers see a note with Eduardo Balaquit’s personal identification number at the defendant’s home. However, they could not find the actual cards.
One of Kyle Pietz’s sisters identified him in the security video as the man who withdrew money from an ATM at a convenience store.
Ms. believes. Sansregret that the exhibits presented could prove theft, but could not prove murder.
A man also admitted in court that he entered Eduardo Balaquit’s car and stole his wallet the night he disappeared.
With information from The Canadian Press
Source: Radio-Canada
