The body of kidnapped Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian has been found, bringing a devastating end to a case police believe was a brutal case of mistaken identity.
Human remains believed to be those of the 85 year old were discovered on Tuesday morning near a golf course at Pitt Town in Sydney’s north west. Detectives from the NSW Police robbery and serious crime squad established a crime scene near Lynwood Golf and Country Club shortly after 8am.
Formal identification is yet to be completed, but investigators have indicated they believe the remains are those of Mr Baghsarian, who was abducted from his North Ryde home 11 days ago.
Mr Baghsarian, a widower and grandfather who lived alone, was taken from his home about 5am on February 13. CCTV footage from the quiet suburban street showed two men, one wearing a high visibility shirt and another in a dark hoodie, approaching the house before allegedly forcing him into a waiting vehicle.
Police have consistently said Mr Baghsarian and his family have no links to organised crime. Detectives allege he was not the intended target of the kidnapping.
In the days after his disappearance, disturbing images and video circulated in Sydney’s underworld appearing to show the elderly man bound and seriously injured. He was allegedly held at a property in Dural, where police believe he was assaulted and forced to record a video message directed at an alleged gangland figure.
The grim discovery follows days of intense searching across Sydney’s north west.
On Sunday, officers launched a large scale search of bushland around Glenorie after reports that a torched Toyota Corolla had been seen in the area the day after the abduction. The vehicle, later found burnt out in Westmead, had been reported stolen from Victoria and was travelling on cloned registration plates.
Forensic testing linked the car to both Mr Baghsarian and the Dural property where he was allegedly held. Items recovered from the vehicle, including material believed to have come from inside the house, matched evidence seized by detectives.
Strike Force Chobat, established to investigate the abduction, has been working to piece together the movements of those involved. Police believe at least three men attended Mr Baghsarian’s home, though more people may have been involved in planning or facilitating the crime.
Investigators are exploring whether the kidnappers had intended to seize a different man connected to an organised crime network, whose relatives previously lived on the same street.
It is understood that after the abduction, a prominent Sydney businessman with past criminal associations was contacted by the kidnappers and sent images of Mr Baghsarian. The businessman allegedly responded that they had taken the wrong person.
Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks last week described the alleged error as deeply concerning, saying it was not a random act but a targeted kidnapping gone wrong.
No ransom demand was ever made to Mr Baghsarian’s family.
In a statement released through NSW Police during the search, Mr Baghsarian’s family described him as a devoted father, brother, uncle and grandfather.
“The kindest person we know, someone who would never hurt a fly,” they said.
They spoke of their shock at being swept up in a violent crime that had nothing to do with their family, describing the ordeal as a nightmare.
With the discovery of the remains, detectives will now focus on bringing those responsible to justice. No arrests have yet been made.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers as the investigation continues.
