B.C. lawyer facing 1st-degree murder charge admits to killing client — but claims it was manslaughter

Brieanna Charlebois · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Oct 06, 2025 4:47 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 6

A lawyer from Kamloops, B.C., accused of first-degree execution successful the decease of his lawsuit admits to sidesplitting the man, but says it should beryllium manslaughter.

As closing arguments were astir to commencement astatine the proceedings of Rogelio (Butch) Bagabuyo, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Kathleen Ker confirmed with the accused's lawyer that his written submissions see that his lawsuit concedes to sidesplitting Mohd Abdullah, but that helium should beryllium convicted of the lesser charge.

"That is correct," Mark Swartz told the judge.

However, Crown lawyer Ann Katrine Saettler told the judge-alone trial that Abdullah, a lecturer astatine Thompson Rivers University, hired Bagabuyo successful 2016 and the 2 men conspired to fell "large sums of money" during Abdullah's separation from his wife.

"The grounds has shown that Mr. Bagabuyo squandered the wealth connected his ain surviving expenses and would person been incapable to instrumentality the funds," she said.

Abdullah's woman died successful September 2019 earlier they could divorce, but Bagabuyo convinced him "it was indispensable to permission the funds successful his attraction for 2 much years" to support the wealth from his wife's property oregon family, Saettler told the judge. 

Bagabuyo was charged with interfering with quality remains connected March 21, 2022. (Submitted by Kamloops Collaborative Family Law Association)

But Saettler said Abdullah yet grew impatient astir getting his wealth back.

"It is the Crown's mentation that by March 1, 2022, Mr. Bagabuyo knew helium would not beryllium capable to proceed to fool Mr. Abdullah overmuch longer," she said. 

"He had decided the lone mode to flight the consequences of having defrauded Mr. Abdullah — consequences that helium surely understood would precise apt see disbarment, disgrace, prosecution and situation — was to termination Mr. Abdullah and dispose of the body."

She said Bagabuyo was the executor of Abdullah's volition and the powerfulness of lawyer implicit his fiscal matters.

"If nary 1 knew Mr. Abdullah was dead, Mr. Bagabuyo was successful a presumption to unrecorded disconnected of Mr. Abdullah's remaining important finances," Saettler told the court.

Saettler said the Crown's mentation is that Bagabuyo stabbed Abdullah to decease connected March 11, 2022, erstwhile helium arrived for a gathering astatine the lawyer's office, which was nether restoration aft a fire.

"He fashioned a homemade garrote and brought it with him to the bureau arsenic a instrumentality to guarantee Mr. Abdullah was dormant aft helium was disabled by the stabbing.

"The Crown's mentation is that Mr. Bagabuyo planned to region the assemblage by concealing it successful a ample integrative bin which helium purchased connected March 1," Saettler said, adding that helium besides obtained a second, identical bin arsenic a "decoy" that helium filled with ineligible papers.

After the murder, the Crown authoritative said Bagabuyo wrapped Abdullah's assemblage successful integrative sheeting, enactment the garrote astir his neck, placed him successful the bin and secured it with ratchet straps. He past hauled the bin into his car. 

RCMP released these images of Mohd Abdullah taken successful March 2022, soon earlier his death. (Submitted by the RCMP)

Saettler said it is believed helium initially brought the tote into his backyard. But, she said, his plans for disposal changed erstwhile helium was contacted by constabulary astir Abdullah being missing. 

That, she said, "accelerated his program to dispose of the body" and sought the assistance of an unsuspecting neighbour, who helium convinced to rent a van and assistance him dispose of the tote wherever helium enactment the body.

Bagabuyo, who has been retired connected bail during the trial, was arrested connected March 18, 2022, the time aft the assemblage was discovered wrong the tote by the neighbour's grandson.

A condemnation for first-degree execution results successful a condemnation of beingness successful situation without accidental of parole for 25 years, portion determination is nary mandatory condemnation for manslaughter unless a firearm is used.