Kamloops man charged with 1st-degree murder in death of TRU instructor
Kamloops RCMP say a local man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Thompson Rivers University instructor.
Rogelio "Butch" Bagabuyo, 55, was taken into custody Friday following a lengthy investigation into the death of Mohd Abdullah last March, according to police.
On March 17, 2022, Abdullah was found dead inside a vehicle in the 1600 block of Monterey Place, according to RCMP. He had been reported missing three days earlier after not showing up for work.
Three days after Abdullah was found, Bagabuyo was charged with interfering with human remains. Mounties said at the time that Bagabuyo allegedly placed human remains in a plastic bin, and he was subsequently charged with the crime.
RCMP said Friday that the B.C. Prosecution Service has approved a charge of first-degree murder against Bagabuyo.
Bagabuyo had a law practice in Kamloops. The Law Society of B.C. lists him as a former member. The society's website states a B.C. Supreme Court order on May 12, 2022, appointed a lawyer to serve as a custodian for Bagabuyo's practice. A custodian's role is to "manage or to wind up a legal practice," the society says.
Last year, Abdullah's son-in-law told CBC that Abdullah and Bagabuyo were friends.
"He's saying this man is a trusted friend, a good friend ... whenever he needs legal advice, he always goes to Butch," Jhuls Buco said.
Thompson Rivers University said in a statement at the time of Abdullah's death that he worked at the university for more than two decades, playing an important role in the faculty of science and open learning.
