Arrest and charges in Sydney grandfather’s mistaken-identity kidnapping and murder case
Consensus Summary
Police have arrested Deklin James Donnelly, 23, as the alleged ringleader in the mistaken-identity kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian, an 85-year-old Sydney grandfather abducted from his North Ryde home on February 13. Baghsarian’s body was found near a Pitt Town golf course 11 days later, and Donnelly was charged with murder, kidnapping, and multiple firearms and drug offenses after police raided his Seven Hills home, where they seized an sawn-off shotgun, ammunition, and prohibited drugs. Donnelly was found wearing only his underwear during his arrest, and his girlfriend, Jenessa Thurston, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for an unrelated violence order breach. Two other men, Gerard Andrews and Daniel Stevens, were charged in February with Baghsarian’s murder and remain in custody. Police allege Donnelly was a key organizer in the plot, which may have involved up to nine people, and that the kidnapping was mistakenly carried out instead of targeting a relative of Dimitri Stepanyan, a Sydney businessman linked to organized crime. Investigations continue into the broader conspiracy, with Donnelly’s next court appearance set for May 22. Baghsarian’s family has described him as a beloved figure with no ties to criminal activity, and authorities suspect the botched abduction may have been orchestrated offshore.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Deklin James Donnelly, 23, was arrested on March 6 at a Seven Hills home and charged with murder and kidnapping of Chris Baghsarian, an 85-year-old grandfather mistakenly abducted from North Ryde on February 13
- Baghsarian’s body was found near a golf course in Pitt Town, Sydney’s northwest, on February 24, 11 days after his abduction
- Donnelly was found wearing only his underwear during his arrest, and an sawn-off shotgun, ammunition, and prohibited drugs (heroin, methylamphetamine, cocaine, cannabis) were allegedly found at the Seven Hills property
- Gerard Andrews, 29, and Daniel Stevens, 24, were charged in February with Baghsarian’s kidnapping and murder, and remain in custody without entering pleas
- Jenessa Thurston, 23, Donnelly’s girlfriend, was arrested alongside him for an apprehended violence order breach and sentenced to 10 months imprisonment (non-parole period of 6 months) on March 6
- Donnelly’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 22, and he was denied bail
- Police allege Donnelly was captured on CCTV at Baghsarian’s home during the kidnapping and near an abandoned Dural home where Baghsarian was allegedly tortured and killed
- Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks stated Donnelly was a ‘major player’ in the kidnapping plot and was involved in conveying Baghsarian to the Dural location
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Donnelly allegedly murdered Baghsarian between February 13 morning and 9pm on February 14, with the body disposed of shortly after the kidnappers realized they had the wrong man
- Donnelly’s charges include ‘take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasion actual bodily harm,’ ‘possess unauthorised firearm,’ ‘possess ammunition without license,’ and three counts of drug supply
- Gerard Andrews and Daniel Stevens were charged in February with ‘murder, take/detain in company with intent to ransom, and occasioning actual bodily harm’
- Donnelly updated his Facebook profile picture on February 16, two days after Baghsarian’s body was allegedly dumped and while police were still searching for clues
- Neighbors described Donnelly and Thurston as ‘very quiet’ and rarely seen before their arrests
- Donnelly was contracted to kidnap Dimitri Stepanyan’s father (a relative of Sydney businessman Dimitri Stepanyan, linked to the Alameddine crime family) but mistakenly abducted Baghsarian instead
- A $50 million ransom demand was made to the Stepanyan family, who informed kidnappers they had the wrong man
- Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks stated Donnelly was ‘contracted to kidnap another person, but took Mr Baghsarian’ and was ‘one of the higher players in that crew’
- Donnelly’s Facebook profile picture was updated on February 16, while police were actively searching for Baghsarian’s killers
- Police believe up to nine people were involved in the kidnapping and murder, and are investigating whether the botched abduction was ordered offshore
- Baghsarian’s family has no links to organized crime and described him as ‘the kindest person they knew’
- Superintendent Andrew Marks stated police allege Donnelly ‘conveyed Mr Baghsarian to the stronghold in Dural where he was kept’
- The ABC notes Donnelly was a ‘major player’ in the ‘mistaken identity kidnapping and murder’ plot
- The ABC emphasizes Donnelly’s charges include ‘take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasioning bodily harm’ without additional specifics on the exact wording of charges
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- NEWSCOMAU states Donnelly allegedly murdered Baghsarian between February 13 morning and 9pm on February 14, while SMH does not specify a timeframe for the murder but implies it occurred shortly after the kidnappers realized they had the wrong man
- NEWSCOMAU lists Donnelly’s charges as including ‘take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasion actual bodily harm,’ while SMH does not mention this exact phrasing and focuses on ‘kidnapping and murder’ charges
- SMH claims Donnelly was ‘contracted to kidnap another person’ (Dimitri Stepanyan’s father) but mistakenly abducted Baghsarian, while NEWSCOMAU does not mention a specific intended target beyond ‘mistaken identity’
- SMH states police believe the botched abduction was ordered offshore and are investigating this angle, while NEWSCOMAU and ABC do not mention this possibility
- NEWSCOMAU notes Donnelly updated his Facebook profile picture on February 16 while police were still searching for clues, while SMH describes this as occurring ‘while detectives were hunting the widower’s killers, and eight days before the remains were found’ (a discrepancy in timing)
Source Articles
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