Butch Bagabuyo (Inset). Image Credit: CFJC Today (Main), Kamloops Collaborative Family Law (Inset)

By Simon Little and Kristen Robinson - Global BC

Homicide Investigation

Kamloops lawyer granted bail on charges linked to death of TRU instructor

Mar 28, 2022 | 1:15 PM

A 54-year-old Kamloops lawyer has been released on bail while police remain tight-lipped about a homicide investigation into the death of a popular computer science instructor at Thompson Rivers University.

Rogelio Butch Bagabuyo was released Friday. He was charged earlier in the week with indignity to a body for allegedly placing human remains in a plastic bin, in relation to the death of Mohd Abdullah.

Abdullah was found dead in a rental van in a residential neighbourhood on March 17. He was last seen March 11 and was reported missing March 14 when he didn’t show up at work.

On Saturday, police vehicles remained parked outside a Kamloops home owned by Bagabuyo. Neighbours told Global News that the RCMP had been a constant presence in recent days.

“The police cars have been there with that equipment, every day for about a week,” Enri Andres said. “I was concerned I thought there must be something wrong.”

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Global News was unable to reach Bagabuyo by phone or email.

On Wednesday, RCMP said Abdulla’s death was believed to be a homicide.

Police have not released any information about how Abdullah died, or whether they have a suspect in his death.

“There’s lots of information that I know the public is interested in,” said Kamloops RCMP Const. Crystal Evelyn.

“But obviously some of the things have to be held back to protect the integrity of the investigation.”

At Thompson Rivers University on Saturday, students remained in disbelief that their instructor could have met with foul play.

“I was just shocked. I see him every day walking the halls, smiling to people. I was just speechless,” computer science student Earl Balageo said.

“He was such a nice guy, he was always just open and always there for students when you needed him.”

Fellow student Devanjon Roy said he used to see Abdullah frequently in his neighbourhood, and that the instructor stood out among the faculty for going above and beyond.

“He was one of the few professors who was always there for students, whenever you had a problem. His office hours were really flexible, and he used to meet us after office hours too,” he said.

“It’s just crazy knowing something bad would happen to him like that. He was such a nice guy and thinking of him like that … it’s heartbreaking.”

Investigators continue to appeal for tips, as they try and build a timeline on the movements of both Abdullah and the white rental van in the run-up to the discovery of his body.

Police say he usually walked or took public transit and are asking anyone who may have seen him after March 11 to come forward.

Bagabuyo’s next court date is April 21.