Arrests and charges in Sydney grandfather’s mistaken-identity kidnapping and murder case
Consensus Summary
Police have arrested Deklin Jake Donnelly, 23, as a key figure in the kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian, an 85-year-old Sydney grandfather mistakenly targeted in a botched abduction plot. Donnelly was charged with murder and related offences after being found at a Seven Hills property with an sawn-off shotgun, drugs, and ammunition during his arrest. He allegedly facilitated the abduction of Baghsarian from his North Ryde home on February 13, with his body discovered near a Pitt Town golf course 11 days later. Two other men, Gerard Andrews and Daniel Stevens, were previously charged in the case and remain in custody. Donnelly’s girlfriend, Jenessa Thurston, was arrested for an unrelated AVO breach and sentenced to 10 months in jail. Investigations suggest up to nine people were involved, with police still searching for additional suspects. The case involves organised crime connections, as the intended target was a relative of Dimitri Stepanyan, linked to the Alameddine crime family. Donnelly’s arrest follows a lengthy investigation by Strike Force Chobat, with court appearances scheduled for May 2024.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Deklin Jake Donnelly, 23, was arrested at a Seven Hills property on March 2024 and charged with murder and take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasioning bodily harm in relation to Chris Baghsarian’s death
- Chris Baghsarian, 85, was abducted from his North Ryde home on February 13 and his remains were found near a Pitt Town golf course on February 23
- Gerard Andrews, 29, and Daniel Stevens, 24, were arrested and charged with kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian on March 2024 and remain in custody
- Donnelly was captured on CCTV at Baghsarian’s North Ryde home at the time of the abduction (February 13) and near an abandoned Dural home where Baghsarian was allegedly tortured
- Donnelly was found wearing only his underwear during his arrest at the Seven Hills property
- Donnelly did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody to appear in court again in May 2024
- Police allege up to nine people were involved in the kidnapping and murder plot
- Jenessa Thurston, 23, Donnelly’s girlfriend, was arrested at the Seven Hills property and charged with breaching an apprehended violence order (AVO) but not linked to Baghsarian’s death
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Superintendent Andrew Marks stated Donnelly was alleged to have ‘conveyed Mr Baghsarian to the stronghold in Dural where he was kept’
- No mention of Donnelly’s Facebook profile update or neighbours’ descriptions of the couple’s behaviour
- No specific mention of the sawn-off shotgun being found under the bed during the arrest
- Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks described Donnelly as ‘contracted to kidnap the father of Dimitri Stepanyan’ (a relative of a Sydney businessman linked to the Alameddine crime family)
- Donnelly allegedly updated his Facebook profile picture on February 16 (two days after Baghsarian’s body was dumped and while police were investigating)
- Neighbours described Donnelly and Thurston as ‘very quiet’ and rarely seen before their arrests
- Police allege the botched abduction was ‘ordered offshore’ and that at least one key player remains at large
- Baghsarian’s family is described as having ‘no links to organised crime’ and is ‘distraught’ over his death
- Court documents reveal Donnelly allegedly murdered Baghsarian ‘between the morning of February 13 and 9pm the following evening’
- An sawn-off shotgun was found under Donnelly’s bed during the arrest, along with ammunition and prohibited drugs (heroin, methylamphetamine, cocaine, cannabis)
- Donnelly was charged with ‘possess unauthorised firearm,’ ‘possess ammunition without license,’ and ‘acquire firearm without authority’
- Thurston was sentenced to 10 months jail (non-parole period of six months) for AVO breach and assaulting a police officer, with release in September 2025
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC does not mention Donnelly’s Facebook profile picture update on February 16, while SMH and NEWSCOMAU both report this detail
- NEWSCOMAU states Donnelly allegedly killed Baghsarian ‘between the morning of February 13 and 9pm February 14,’ but ABC and SMH do not specify this exact timeline
- SMH claims the kidnapping was allegedly ‘ordered offshore,’ but ABC and NEWSCOMAU do not mention this detail
- NEWSCOMAU reports Donnelly was charged with ‘three counts of supply prohibited drug,’ while ABC and SMH only mention ‘drug supply offences’ without specifying counts
- SMH describes Donnelly as ‘contracted to kidnap Dimitri Stepanyan’s father,’ while ABC and NEWSCOMAU frame it as a ‘mistaken identity’ without explicitly stating a contract
Source Articles
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