Canada jury convicts suspect in killing of Filipino whose body is still missing
Kyle Pietz (left) was convicted of manslaughter in the killing of Eduardo Balaquit four years ago.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba – A Canada jury on May 4 convicted the man accused of killing a Filipino contract cleaner of manslaughter.
Kyle Pietz, 35, was found guilty of manslaughter in the disappearance and presumed death of Eduardo Balaquit, 59, who went missing from his workplace nearly four years ago.
The Filipino contract cleaner vanished after working at a heavy equipment dealership on Keewatin Street. It’s still not known how Balaquit died and his body has never been found.
The Winnipeg Police Service renewed calls for information on Balaquit’s whereabouts.
“A reminder to the public he still hasn’t been found. We’re still asking for the public’s assistance. We won’t be giving up,” Sgt. Wade McDonald, a supervising detective with the WPS, said.
The circumstances of Balaquit’s disappearance were considered mysterious right from the beginning. But even after the conviction, his family is still left seeking closure.
The family of Eduardo Balaguit is still seeking closure after conviction of the man accused of his presumed death. (Photo: Winnipeg Free Press)
“Throughout this whole process, we were hoping that the evidence would show us where my dad is or if this person would finally tell us where he is,” Edward Balaquit, Eduardo’s son, told reporters after the verdict was read out in court. “He didn’t give us that information we needed.”
An industrious father, Balaquit worked during the day Monday to Friday for a fabric company. He would go home for a short break and then head back to work in the evenings for his own company, a janitorial business he ran for 20 years.
He cleaned four businesses — including Westcon Equipment and Rentals — and on the weekends he DJ’ed at socials and weddings. His family said he liked playing music, but he also worked so hard because he wanted to help give them more than he had growing up.
The last time Balaquit was known to be alive was 6:05 p.m. on June 4, 2018, when he turned off the alarm at Westcon, just as he’d done for the past two decades. But that night Balaquit never returned home, setting off a series of searches throughout Winnipeg and rural areas around Arborg, Man.
Prosecutors argued that Pietz, a former Westcon employee who court heard had no income, was in debt and who prosecutors argued was desperate for cash at the time of Balaquit’s death, circled Westcon and waited for his intended target.
Prosecutors alleged Pietz, who was seen wearing a Westcon shirt in surveillance video that night, killed Balaquit at the business while robbing him of his bank cards and personal identification numbers (PINs).
Prosecution theorized that he then went to a Safeway and a Manitoba Liquor Mart with Balaquit in the back of his blue Ford Escape before driving north of Winnipeg towards Arborg to hide his victim’s body.
Extensive searches of the area shortly after Balaquit’s disappearance failed to locate any significant clues. Prosecutors argued Pietz then used Balaquit’s bank cards and PINs to withdraw a total of $700 from Balaquit’s bank account at a 7-Eleven ATM on Ellice Avenue in the early morning hours of June 5, 2018.
With no blood or DNA evidence, a sticky note found two days after Balaquit’s disappearance in a 7-Eleven bag in Pietz’s fridge linked Pietz to Balaquit and to the crime scene because it contained a phone number for a Westcon customer and Balaquit’s PINs.
Even though police had the note early on, prosecutors only learned earlier this year that Balaquit’s PINs were on the piece of the paper after his wife, Iluminada, confirmed the information ahead of Pietz’s trial.
On the night of Balaquit’s disappearance, two other men stole Balaquit’s wallet after smashing the window of Balaquit’s van, which was seen by a witness being moved from Westcon to a neighboring parking lot during the time prosecutors argued Pietz was at Westcon. Their attempts to take out money using Balaquit’s bank cards were unsuccessful. Hearing the details in court wasn’t easy for the Balaquits.
Pietz is now facing significant time in custody with the prosecution indicating it’ll be seeking a life sentence. Pietz, who was free on bail, was taken into custody where he’ll remain while awaiting sentencing. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 8 but no sentencing date has been set as of yet.
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