New South Wales police believe the body of 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian was dumped on Sydney's outskirts within 40 hours of his kidnapping, in a case of mistaken identity. Human remains were discovered near a golf club in Pitt Town on Tuesday morning, following a week-long search.
Baghsarian, a widowed grandfather, was abducted from his North Ryde home just after 5am on Friday 13 February. Police said he was not the intended target. Forensic evidence linked to Baghsarian was found in a burnt-out grey Toyota Corolla in Westmead, leading officers to search bushland at Glenorie and ultimately to the remains off Pitt Town Bottoms Road.
The Toyota Corolla was seen in Glenorie on the night of Saturday 14 February and later on Pitt Town Bottoms Road at 9.05pm that same day, close to Lynwood Golf Course. The car was set alight in Westmead late on Monday 16 February. Police are appealing for anyone who saw the vehicle or suspicious activity in those areas to come forward.
Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks said evidence inside the car was also linked to an abandoned property in Dural, believed to have been used as a makeshift stronghold by the kidnappers. Police raided the property on Thursday evening. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the intended target may have been a relative of a man linked to a well-known Sydney crime family, but Marks declined to comment further.
Baghsarian's family previously described their ordeal as a nightmare, saying the abduction felt surreal and that they were caught up in something unrelated to them. Marks expressed outrage at the recklessness of the perpetrators and expressed confidence that investigators would identify and bring them to justice.
