A chilling vow of retribution has emerged from Sydney's criminal underworld following the botched kidnapping and murder of an innocent 85-year-old man, according to a legal source with intimate knowledge of the city's major players. The remains of Chris Baghsarian were discovered near a golf course in Sydney's north-west on Tuesday, eleven days after he was forcibly taken from his home in a tragic case of mistaken identity.
Intended Target Revealed
The alleged intended target of the abduction was Dimitri Stepanyan, a Sydney businessman and former associate of the Alameddine crime family. A legal source informed the Daily Mail that those responsible for the fatal error would be killed, stating, 'I'm told the fools who did this will be eliminated - for killing the wrong guy, but also for having the audacity to plan the abduction of the real target.' The source added ominously, 'They won't survive. These blokes are going to end up dead regardless of where they are. Even Supermax can't keep them safe.'
Stepanyan's Fury and Family Flight
Separately, the source disclosed that Mr Stepanyan was 'incensed' after his family was publicly identified as the real target and is 'on the warpath' to uncover who leaked his name. Daily Mail investigations reveal that Mr Stepanyan's parents, who lived just three doors away from Mr Baghsarian on Northcott Avenue, abruptly left their home on the day of the kidnapping. Neighbours report they returned briefly on Monday to pack belongings before departing again, with locals now suspecting they will never return after being outed.
Text messages allegedly exchanged between the kidnappers and Mr Stepanyan show him calling the incident a 'dumb dumb error' and questioning how they got the wrong house. In the texts, he reportedly said, 'My old man would of blown your head off. Good luck next time. You f**n dopes.' It is not suggested that Mr Stepanyan would seek to kill those responsible for the botched abduction himself.
Details of the Abduction and Murder
Mr Baghsarian was asleep when two men smashed his front window and forced him into a vehicle at 5am on February 13. During his captivity, it is reported that his finger was severed, and he was later beaten in a video sent to a gangland figure at a property in Dural, about 20km from his home. His body was dumped in scrub on the perimeter of Lynwood Golf Course in Pitt Town, approximately 40km away, where police discovered it on Tuesday morning. A 400m stretch of road was blocked off, though golfers continued to play nearby.
No ransom demands were made to Mr Baghsarian's family, who described him as a 'deeply loved and devoted father, brother, uncle and grandfather' and 'the kindest person we know - someone who would never hurt a fly.' In a statement released by NSW Police, they expressed, 'Chris's kidnapping feels surreal, and we are struggling to make sense of the fact that he has been taken, and that our family has been caught up in something that has nothing to do with us. We are living through a nightmare we never thought possible.'
Neighbourhood Insights and Police Investigation
Neighbours on Northcott Avenue noted that Mr Stepanyan had lived overseas for years and was not residing with his parents, adding that the house was 'known to police' during his time there. One neighbour remarked, 'I'm surprised they got the wrong house. Everyone knows that house.' Both Mr Baghsarian and the Stepanyans are believed to be of Armenian descent.
Police have been actively investigating the case, with a stolen Toyota Corolla used in the kidnapping found torched in Westmead, providing forensic links to a Dural property. The investigation timeline includes key events such as the abduction on February 13, the discovery of the getaway car, and the eventual finding of Mr Baghsarian's remains on February 24 near the golf course.
