Nova Scotia

Man who fled Nova Scotia after 2021 homicide arrested in Montreal

A man who fled Nova Scotia after a 2021 homicide will now answer to the charge of second-degree murder after being located in Montreal. Valdo (C.J.) Pauyo, 29, is accused of murdering 42-year-old Bert Knockwood, who was found dead in a Millbrook, N.S., home on July 12, 2021.

Valdo (C.J.) Pauyo, 29, is accused of second-degree murder of Burt Knockwood

A Black man with long hair in dreads is shown in a mugshot.
Valdo (C.J.) Pauyo, 29, fled Nova Scotia after the 2021 death of Bert Knockwood. (RCMP)

A man who fled Nova Scotia after a 2021 homicide will now answer to the charge of second-degree murder after being located in Montreal.

Valdo (C.J.) Pauyo, 29, is accused of murdering 42-year-old Bert Knockwood, who was found dead in a Millbrook, N.S., home on July 12, 2021.

Knockwood's obituary described him as a talented bassist, DJ and producer whose infectious laugh "could fill a room."

After Knockwood's death, Pauyo fled Nova Scotia. He was charged with second-degree murder, and a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest was issued in December 2021.

At that time, a charge against another individual accused of being an accessory after the fact to murder was withdrawn by the Crown because they felt there was no realistic prospect of conviction.

A man is shown with his father.
Bert Knockwood, left, with his father, Doug, in April 2016. (Bert Knockwood/Facebook)

In a news release issued Tuesday, RCMP said Pauyo was recently added to a national most-wanted list called the BOLO Program, which led to a tip about a possible sighting in the Montreal area.

Pauyo was arrested in Montreal on April 26 by local police and Nova Scotia RCMP.

He flew back to Nova Scotia a day later and will appear in Truro Supreme Court on May 7.

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