A Kamloops lawyer has admitted to killing his client but insists it was not murder, according to statements made in a B.C. Supreme Court courtroom. Butch Bagabuyo, 57, faced his first-degree murder trial over the death of Mohd Abdullah, 60, a computer sciences professor at Thompson Rivers University.
Abdullah had hired Bagabuyo nearly a decade ago to assist with a separation. Prosecutors allege that in 2016 the two men conspired to hide $774,000 from Abdullah’s ex-wife and her family. In the months before his death, Abdullah tried to reclaim the money, becoming increasingly frustrated and desperate.
Bagabuyo is accused of stabbing Abdullah to death during a meeting at his law office on March 11, 2022. Prosecutors say he then involved an elderly friend in a failed attempt to dispose of the body. Bagabuyo allegedly spent Abdullah’s money on personal living expenses.
The admission came on Monday morning when B.C. Supreme Court Justice Kathleen Ker questioned Bagabuyo’s lawyer, Mark Swartz. Swartz confirmed that Bagabuyo conceded he had killed Abdullah but argued that the act should only be classified as manslaughter.
This marks the first time Bagabuyo has admitted to causing Abdullah’s death. He did not testify in his own defense, which will simplify Justice Ker’s decision-making. “The issue is, has the Crown proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt on first degree? If not, has it proved second? If not, it’s manslaughter,” Ker said in court.
During her closing argument, Crown prosecutor Ann Katrine Saettler outlined the case against Bagabuyo. She said the $774,000, described as Abdullah’s life savings, was the motive. Evidence showed Bagabuyo misused the funds for his own expenses.
Saettler explained that by March 1, 2022, Bagabuyo realized he could no longer continue deceiving Abdullah. “He decided the only way to escape the consequences of having defrauded Mr. Abdullah — consequences that he surely understood would very likely include disbarment, disgrace, prosecution and prison — was to kill Mr. Abdullah and dispose of the body,” she said.
The Crown alleges that Bagabuyo planned an ambush when Abdullah arrived at his Victoria Street law office. Saettler said he brought a homemade garrotte to ensure Abdullah’s death after being stabbed. The evidence also suggests Bagabuyo intended to continue living off Abdullah’s estate following the killing.
Bagabuyo’s admission reduces the focus for the court on whether the act qualifies as first-degree murder. Justice Ker must now decide if the Crown has proved first-degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt, or if a conviction for second-degree murder or manslaughter is more appropriate.
The trial, which began in April, has centered on financial deceit, premeditation, and Bagabuyo’s alleged attempts to cover up the crime. Monday’s courtroom development marks a key turning point as the defense acknowledges the killing but challenges its classification as murder.
