Killer guilty of manslaughter in 2012 home-invasion shooting

A Surrey man has been convicted of manslaughter in the 2012 shooting death of a male during a home invasion.

On Tuesday, Russell Atma Bidesi, 24, tried for the seconddegree murder of 31-year-old Kacey Rogers, was found guilty by a B.C. Supreme Court judge of the lesser included charge of manslaughter, according to court records.

Sentencing will take place at a later date.

It was alleged that during a phone conversation on Feb. 25, 2012, Bidesi suggested to Joshua Bruno Martinez that they should rip off Rogers.

The next day, Bidesi, Martinez and a third man, Fabien Luther Marcus Lyde, got masks and gloves and that night drove to Rogers’ home in the 14000-block Grosvenor Road in the Whalley neighbourhood of Surrey.

Bidesi was armed with a shot gun a handgun and a shotgun.

It was alleged Bidesi fired four shots into the front doorway, then shot Rogers in the head when Rogers looked out the kitchen window.

The men went into Rogers’ home looking for money or drugs to steal before fleeing. Rogers died at the scene. Bidesi’s two co-accused have already been sentenced in the case.

In February, Martinez was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter with a firearm and four firearms-related offences.

He was given credit for 4½ years of time served, leaving 2½ years in his sentence.

In April 2013, Lyde pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison, minus 20 months of credit for time served.

Bidesi is also awaiting trial in the murder of 28-year-old Bradley McPherson.

McPherson was shot to death at a Christmas Eve house party at Surrey in 2011.

Bidesi was set to go to trial for second-degree murder in the McPherson case Feb. 10, but his lawyer successfully applied to have the trial adjourned.