Kamloops man charged for interfering with a body as part of suspicious death investigation, police say
Rogelio Butch Bagabuyo, 54, allegedly placed human remains in a plastic bin and was charged Monday
Kamloops RCMP say a local man has been charged with interfering with human remains as they continue to investigate a suspicious death in the city.
Mounties say 54-year-old Rogelio Butch Bagabuyo allegedly placed human remains in a plastic bin, and he was subsequently charged with the crime.
It is part of an ongoing investigation into a suspicious death in the city, which saw Mounties discovering a dead person inside a vehicle in the Dufferin neighbourhood last Thursday.
Kamloops RCMP spokesperson Const. Crystal Evelyn said police were still waiting on autopsy results to determine the identity of the victim and how the person died.
Bagabuyo is a practising family lawyer in Kamloops, with an office on Victoria Street. No other charges are being laid against him at this time, according to Evelyn. Bagabuyo is now in custody, with a bail hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
Police are reiterating a public call for information on the case.
They are looking to trace the movements of a white van linked to the investigation. The van is described as a white 2020 GMC Budget rental van with the B.C. license plate PJ 9131.
Police say the van may have travelled to Kamloops and surrounding rural communities, including Barriere, Clearwater, Savona, Cache Creek and Valemount.
Anyone with information about the case, including dashcam and surveillance footage, is asked to contact Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000 and reference file number 2022-8565.
With files from Marcella Bernardo