Arrest of Deklin Donnelly 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 kidnapping and murder of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian, 85, a case of mistaken identity linked to the Alameddine crime family. Donnelly was charged with murder, kidnapping, firearms offences, and drug supply after being caught at his Seven Hills home with an sawn-off shotgun, ammunition, and prohibited drugs. Authorities allege he facilitated the abduction of Baghsarian—believed to be the father of Dimitri Stepanyan’s father—after a $50 million ransom demand was made to the wrong family. Baghsarian’s body was found near a Pitt Town golf course 11 days after his February 13 abduction. Two accomplices, Gerard Andrews and Daniel Stevens, were previously charged and remain in custody. Donnelly’s girlfriend, Jenessa Thurston, was arrested for unrelated violence offences. Investigations suggest up to nine people may have been involved, with possible offshore coordination. Donnelly’s arrest followed a months-long manhunt, during which he allegedly updated his social media profile while police searched for Baghsarian’s killers. The case highlights systemic failures in targeting the wrong victim and the brutal consequences of organised crime missteps.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Deklin James Donnelly, 23, was arrested at his Seven Hills public housing address on March 20, 2024, and charged with the kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian, 85, a Sydney grandfather mistakenly abducted on February 13, 2024.
- Baghsarian’s body was found near a golf course in Pitt Town, Sydney’s northwest, 11 days after his abduction, on February 24, 2024.
- Donnelly was captured on CCTV at Baghsarian’s North Ryde home at the time of the kidnapping and later near an abandoned Dural home where Baghsarian was allegedly tortured and killed.
- Donnelly was charged with murder, take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasioning bodily harm, possessing an unauthorised firearm (sawn-off shotgun), ammunition, and drug supply offences (heroin, methylamphetamine, cocaine, cannabis).
- Gerard Andrews, 29, and Daniel Stevens, 24, were previously charged with Baghsarian’s kidnapping and murder and remain in custody; they were arrested on March 19, 2024.
- Donnelly was refused bail and remanded in custody to appear in Blacktown Local Court on May 22, 2024.
- Jenessa Thurston, 23, Donnelly’s girlfriend, was arrested at the Seven Hills home and charged with breaching an apprehended violence order; she was sentenced to 10 months’ jail (non-parole period of 6 months) for unrelated offences.
- Police allege the kidnapping was a case of mistaken identity, targeting Dimitri Stepanyan’s father (a relative of Sydney businessman Dimitri Stepanyan, linked to the Alameddine crime family) but abducting Baghsarian instead.
- Up to nine people are believed to be involved in the kidnapping and murder, with investigations ongoing into possible offshore involvement.
- A $50 million ransom demand was made to the Stepanyan family, who informed kidnappers they had the wrong man.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Donnelly updated his Facebook profile picture on February 16, 2024 (two days after Baghsarian’s body was allegedly dumped and while police were actively searching for him).
- Neighbours described Donnelly and Thurston as ‘very quiet’ and rarely seen before their arrests.
- Police seized ‘a significant amount of prohibited drugs’ at Donnelly’s home, though the exact quantities were not specified beyond the types listed.
- Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks stated Donnelly was ‘one of the higher players in that crew’ and had prior police involvement in organising another kidnapping.
- Marks mentioned Donnelly was captured on CCTV at Baghsarian’s home *and* later near the Dural home where Baghsarian was killed.
- Baghsarian’s family is described as having ‘no links to organised crime’ and being ‘distraught’ over his death.
- Donnelly was charged with ‘take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasioning bodily harm’ (exact phrasing differs slightly from SMH).
- Superintendent Andrew Marks stated Donnelly ‘conveyed Mr Baghsarian to the stronghold in Dural where he was kept’ (no mention of CCTV capture at Dural in this source).
- No mention of Donnelly’s Facebook profile update or neighbour observations.
- The sawn-off shotgun was found *under the bed* in Donnelly’s Seven Hills home during the arrest (SMH and ABC do not specify location).
- Court documents state Donnelly allegedly murdered Baghsarian between February 13 morning and 9pm on February 14 (no timeline specified in other sources).
- Thurston was sentenced to 10 months with a non-parole period of 6 months (explicitly stated here; SMH mentions 10 months but omits parole period).
- Thurston’s assault on a police officer occurred in 2025 (future date; SMH and ABC imply it was recent).
- No mention of Donnelly’s prior police involvement or Facebook profile update.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- SMH states Thurston’s assault on a police officer occurred ‘in the execution of duty’ (implying recent), while NEWSCOMAU specifies it was in 2025 (a future date at the time of reporting).
- NEWSCOMAU reports Donnelly allegedly killed Baghsarian between February 13 morning and 9pm on February 14, but SMH and ABC do not specify a timeline beyond the kidnapping on February 13 and body discovery on February 24.
- SMH and ABC describe Donnelly as being captured on CCTV at the Dural home where Baghsarian was killed, but NEWSCOMAU does not mention this detail.
- SMH and ABC do not specify the location of the sawn-off shotgun in Donnelly’s home (only NEWSCOMAU states it was found *under the bed*).
- ABC omits Donnelly’s Facebook profile update and neighbour observations described in SMH and NEWSCOMAU.
Source Articles
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