A former Kamloops lawyer who stole almost $800,000 from a client before fatally stabbing him and smuggling his body out of his office in a plastic tote, has been found guilty of first-degree murder.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Kathleen Ker announced the verdict against Rogelio (Butch) Bagabuyo on Tuesday in Kamloops. Bagabuyo claimed the killing was unplanned but the judge ruled she had no doubt the killing was planned and deliberate.
Bagabuyo Hired by His Client to Hide Nearly $800K in Cash from His Estranged Wife but the Lawyer Spent All of It
According to prosecutors, in 2016, Rogelio (Butch) Bagabuyo was hired by his client, 60-year-old Thompson Rivers University instructor, Mohd Abdullah, to shield more than $780,000 in cash from his estranged wife during their separation.
However, By April of 2018, all of that money was gone, with Bagabuyo spending it on himself. Abdullah's wife died in 2019 before they could divorce and he started asking for the money back but Bagabuyo convinced him "it was necessary to leave the funds in his care for two more years" to protect the money from his wife's estate or family.
Bagabuyo Killed Abdullah After He Realized He Could No Longer Fool Him, Fatally Stabbed Him in His Office
After he realized that he could no longer fool Abdullah, who was getting increasingly impatient about getting his money back, Bagabuyo methodically planned the murder for more than a week. On March 11, 2022, Bagabuyo invited Abdullah to his office in downtown Kamloops for a meeting. When Abdullah arrived, the lawyer slashed his face, stabbed him twice in the neck, seven times in his chest and once in the abdomen.
After the killing, Bagabuyo wrapped Abdullah's body in plastic sheeting, put a homemade garrote around his neck, placed him in the bin and secured it with ratchet straps. Ker noted that Bagabuyo left his office with three garbage bags and the tote that contained Abdullah's body just two hours after the victim was seen walking in the direction of his office.
Bagabuyo was arrested on March 18, 2022, the day after the body was discovered inside the tote by the grandson of an unsuspecting friend whom Bagabuyo had enlisted to rent a van and help find a place to bury the tote.
Bagabuyo's Lawyer Claimed the Killing was Spontaneous and His Client Should be Charged with Manslaughter
Bagabuyo, who is no longer a practicing lawyer, admitted to the killing but his lawyer had argued it was unplanned, and therefore Bagabuyo should be convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter, which has no set prison term.
However, Justice Kathleen Ker said "it defies logic, common sense and human experience" that the killing could have been spontaneous. Ker detailed the preparatory steps that included Bagabuyo emailing Abdullah on March 1 to set up the meeting, writing a to-do list on a cue-card, and purchasing a "decoy tote" in the days leading up to the killing.
Bagabuyo was given the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole for 25 years.
