A Kamloops lawyer has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of former Thompson Rivers University lecturer Mohd Abdullah. Rogelio "Butch" Bagabuyo, 55, was arrested today, May 12, after a lengthy and in-depth investigation.
Image Credit: Kamloops Collaborative Family Law Association
May 12, 2023 - 4:00 PM
A Kamloops lawyer has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of former Thompson Rivers University lecturer Mohd Abdullah.
Rogelio "Butch" Bagabuyo, 55, was arrested today, May 12, after a "lengthy and in-depth" investigation, according to a Kamloops RCMP news release.
Bagabuyo was charged with interference with a dead body more than a year ago and released on bail, March 25, 2022.
“This charge was the result of the tremendous work of everyone involved in this investigation, notably the Kamloops RCMP Serious Crime Unit, the General Investigation Support Team, Forensic Investigation Services Unit, and frontline officers," Kamloops RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley said in the release.
Abdullah, 60, was reported missing March 14, 2022, when he didn't show up for work.
On March 17, Abdullah's body was found inside a plastic bin within a vehicle in Dufferin neighbourhood and Bagabuyo was charged the next day.
Police said it's taken more than a year to finish the homicide investigation and have the first-degree murder charge approved by the BC Prosecution Service.
Bagabuyo was Abdullah's "trusted friend" and offered legal advice when asked, according to family who spoke with iNFOnews.ca.
Although he's now in custody, it's not clear when Bagabuyo will appear again in court to face the new charge.
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