**Accused Former Kamloops Lawyer Methodically Planned Client’s Murder, Crown Says**
*VANCOUVER* — The Crown attorney in the first-degree murder trial of former Kamloops lawyer Rogelio Butch Bagabuyo told the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver that the accused carefully planned the killing of his client for more than a week.
Ann Katrine Saettler presented to Justice Kathleen Ker on Tuesday that Bagabuyo wrote a detailed “planning note” instructing himself to “bag everything after,” avoid bringing his mobile phone or E-watch, turn off GPS, and discard any garbage. “This note, which had to be written before the event, suggests he has thought about where to commit that murder and why,” Saettler said during her closing arguments.
Bagabuyo faces first-degree murder charges in connection with the March 11, 2022, death of his client Mohd Abdullah, a lecturer at Thompson Rivers University. Bagabuyo’s lawyer, Mark Swartz, will begin his final arguments on Wednesday. On Monday, Swartz confirmed that Bagabuyo admits to killing Abdullah but contends it was manslaughter, not murder. He further clarified on Tuesday that the killing happened at the law office.
### Background: Financial Dispute and Motive
Evidence heard earlier in the trial revealed that Abdullah hired Bagabuyo in 2016 and together they conspired to hide large sums of money during Abdullah’s separation from his wife. Subsequently, Bagabuyo spent the funds.
Saettler cited a forensic accountant’s testimony showing Abdullah transferred over $780,000 to Bagabuyo between 2016 and 2022. Analysis showed that 63% of Bagabuyo’s deposits over that period came from Abdullah. “We can see from that over-detailed report and analysis that Mr. Bagabuyo was living off the funds that he had represented to Mr. Abdullah he would keep safe for him,” Saettler explained.
Bagabuyo allegedly delayed returning Abdullah’s money for years, fabricating reasons such as setting up shell corporations or concerns about the Canadian Revenue Agency. Abdullah grew impatient, evidenced by emails and a 2021 audio recording where he pressed Bagabuyo about the funds.
The Crown’s theory suggests that by March 1, 2022, Bagabuyo realized he could no longer deceive Abdullah and devised the plan to murder him.
### Evidence of Planning and Premeditation
Saettler highlighted the financial audit revealing Bagabuyo did not report any income to the CRA, failed to file taxes between 2017 and 2022, owed over $180,000 on his line of credit, and was under audit by the Law Society.
Knowing Abdullah’s potential discovery would land him in jail, Bagabuyo meticulously planned the murder. Saettler said, “He plans it ahead, he thinks he has a good chance of getting away with it, and—in fact, if the body had not been found—it’s quite likely he would have.”
Bagabuyo chose the law office to commit the crime because it provides certain protections from police searches, making it “an ideal place to commit a crime,” according to Saettler.
To illustrate premeditation, Saettler showed a video of Bagabuyo buying a tote from Home Depot matching the one where Abdullah’s body was found. The Crown argued that buying the tote to store papers was unreasonable reasoning, especially since the tote was secured with ratchet straps. “Why would one need to ratchet it closed if it’s just papers?” she questioned.
### Details of the Murder and Aftermath
Bagabuyo allegedly stabbed Abdullah when he arrived at the office, which was under restoration following a fire. Evidence showed Bagabuyo bringing a duffel bag into the building two hours before their meeting. “Some of the things he needs for that murder are in that duffel bag, and some of the things he needs for the cleanup are in that duffel bag,” said Saettler.
The murder weapon was a knife with both a blunt and a sharp side, not an item he would likely carry casually.
Post-murder, Bagabuyo wrapped Abdullah’s body in plastic sheeting, placed a garrote around his neck, placed him in the bin, secured it, and transported it to his car. Saettler noted gaps in Bagabuyo’s backyard security cameras from March 10 to 16—the timeframe believed to relate to storing the body and crafting the garrote—indicating deliberate concealment.
Bagabuyo also purchased a propane tank, hacksaw, and other items presumably to dispose of the body but changed plans when police contacted him on March 15 regarding Abdullah’s disappearance.
He enlisted a neighbour’s help to rent a van and dispose of the tote containing the body. The whereabouts of Abdullah’s body between its removal from Victoria Street and its reappearance in the box on March 15 remain unclear.
### Behavior and Arrest
Saettler described Bagabuyo’s demeanor during a March 17 police interview as calm and controlled, inconsistent with someone panicked by an accidental manslaughter. He openly admitted meeting Abdullah on March 11 but crafted a story that denied intentional wrongdoing.
“The whole plan depended on no one finding the body,” Saettler said.
Bagabuyo was arrested on March 18, 2022, a day after Abdullah’s body was discovered in the tote by the neighbour’s grandson. Initially charged with indignity to human remains, he was later charged with first-degree murder over a year later. He has been out on bail since July 12, 2023.
### Additional Information
Bagabuyo attended Tuesday’s court session wearing a dark pinstriped suit, blue dress shirt, and tie.
A first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence without parole for 25 years, whereas manslaughter carries no mandatory minimum unless a firearm is involved.
The B.C. Law Society reports that Bagabuyo is no longer a practising lawyer, and a custodian was appointed to wind up his legal practice in May 2022.
—
*This report by The Canadian Press was first published October 7, 2025.*
*By Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press*
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/former-b-c-lawyer-planned-204940095.html