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By Dylana Kneeshaw

MURDER TRIAL

Court hears of alleged efforts made to dispose of bin containing victim’s body during third day of Bagabuyo trial

Apr 16, 2025 | 4:42 PM

KAMLOOPS — Legal teams arrived at Kamloops Law Courts Wednesday morning (April 16) for the third day of Rogelio ‘Butch’ Bagabuyo’s trial. He is facing a first-degree murder charge related to the killing of Thompson Rivers University lecturer Mohd Abdullah on March 11, 2022.

With witness Wynand Rautenbach taking the stand for a second day, court heard his account of the efforts Bagabuyo had made to get rid of a number of items, including a large storage tote which later was found to have contained Abdullah’s remains.

Mohd Abdullah was allegedly killed on March 11 of 2022, and on March 15, Rautenbach testified that Bagabuyo had taken him for coffee and asked for his help with a matter.

“He was edgy.” Rautenbach told defense lawyer Mark Swartz when asked whether Bagabuyo appeared fearful during their coffee discussion. “He wasn’t Butch.”

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Rautenbach says he agreed to help Bagabuyo and they went to rent a vehicle for the task.

Video surveillance presented in court showed two men resembling Rautenbach and Bagabuyo arriving at the Budget rental office around 4:00 p.m. March 15, and returning about one hour later to pick up the van.

The employee who’d been working at the Kamloops Budget Rentals location and rented the van to Rautenbach was called as a witness. She testified that while both men came into the rental office, the van was rented solely in Rautenbach’s name.

The employee says Rautenbach claimed it was needed to move a couch, and wanted to rent it for two-to-three days.

The following day on March 16, Rautenbach testified that the two met up in the Costco parking lot in Dufferin and left together in the van to look for a place to bury the box.

Rautenbach described how they drove from Kamloops through the Kamloops Lake area, Savona, Cache Creek, then drove toward the Merritt area, Logan Lake, Tunkwa Lake, Highland Valley Copper Road and Lac le Jeune. However, Rautenbach says they repeatedly found the ground was too frozen to dig. He claims they eventually gave up and returned to the store parking lot Bagabuyo’s vehicle had been left in.

Rautenbach explained to the court he had an appointment the following day, so it was decided they’d go back out to find a spot to bury the box on the Friday.

That meeting never happened, as Thursday evening (March 17, 2022) is when Rautenbach’s grandson had discovered the remains in the van and called RCMP. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Sitting in the courtroom behind his lawyers Wednesday, Bagabuyo quietly wrote down notes in his own binder.

Thursday (April 17) is anticipated to see more witnesses take the stand, including RCMP officers, with another two weeks scheduled in Kamloops Law Courts before proceedings move to Vancouver.