Accused received calls, texts from creditors in lead up to Eduardo Balaquit’s disappearance

The Crown closed its case Wednesday in the Eduardo Balaquit homicide trial with testimony from its final three witnesses.

The jury heard from a detective, a crime analyst and a sister of the accused – 36-year-old Kyle Alexander Pietz.

Court heard a production order for Pietz’s cell phone allowed Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) crime analyst Riley Johansson to complete an analysis of where the device was on the night Eduardo Balaquit disappeared.

Johannson testified the analysis can’t pinpoint exact locations but it can show an estimated coverage area based on cell tower data obtained from telecommunication providers.

“From departing Winnipeg there’s a northbound path of travel which appeared to be along Highway 7 throughout until Arborg,” Johansson testified. “It would be inferred that the number in question of that physical device would be somewhere in that general direction inside that estimated coverage area of that cell sector.”

Court heard the data shows Pietz’s phone was in the area of Westcon Equipment and Rentals on June 4, 2018, starting around the time Balaquit was last seen by his family leaving home to go clean the business.

Carly Martin, Pietz’s sister, testified she’s close with her brother Kyle – a former Westcon employee – and told the jury she had a conversation with him about his attendance at Westcon the night of Balaquit’s disappearance.

“He basically told me that him and Eduardo communicated about the boxes and he went to pick up boxes,” Martin testified. “All I know is he went to get boxes.”

The Crown has argued Balaquit was killed during a robbery. Pietz has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and is presumed innocent.

Martin told the jury Pietz told her the meeting with Balaquit ended well.

She was shown surveillance video by the Crown of a man entering a Safeway on Keewatin Street at approximately 8:30 the night Balaquit vanished.

“That’s my brother Kyle,” Martin testified.

Shown a different video from a 7-Eleven on Ellice Avenue captured at approximately 12:30 in the morning on June 5, where police say an individual in the video took out $700 from an ATM using Balaquit’s bank card and a correct pin, Martin testified she was unsure about the identity of the individual.

“I have no idea,” Martin testified. “I can’t 100 per cent I.D. that person.”

Court has previously heard another one of Pietz’s sisters, who Martin told court Pietz does not have a very positive relationship with, told police the man in the video is her brother Kyle.

Sgt. Paul Barber, a WPS homicide detective who worked on the case, testified data extracted from Pietz’s cell phone showed he received phone calls and text messages from creditors in the lead up to Balaquit’s disappearance. Barber told jurors that included a total of 10 calls on May 30 and May 31 from Scotiabank where court has previously heard Pietz had a $34,000 loan for his blue Ford Escape.

Barber testified there was no cell phone communication between Balaquit and Pietz by phone or text.

He testified zip tie packaging was seized from the centre console of Pietz’s vehicle and a bag of zip ties was found in the garbage in his home – zip ties court has previously heard were pre-threaded in pairs of two.

“My experience with zip ties is that they’d be used to bind somebody,” Barber testified.

During cross examination, Pietz’s lawyer Amanda Sansregret pressed Barber on his testimony.

“You have a theory but there’s absolutely no evidence that zip ties had anything to do with the disappearance of Mr. Balaquit, right?” Sansregret asked.

“I don’t know if they had anything to do with Mr. Balaquit.” Barber testified. “What I do know is that they were found in an odd spot, joined in a particular manner that’s not common with the way that you would normally purchase them.”

Barber also testified he made various checks and inquiries including with the Canada Border Services Agency, Manitoba Health and a police information system to determine if there was any sign of Balaquit after his disappearance.

He testified the last time Balaquit was known to be alive was at 6:05 p.m. on June 4, 2018 when he disarmed the alarm at Westcon Equipment and Rentals.

Court has heard his body has not been found.

Jurors have been instructed to return to court on Tuesday.