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 mistaken-identity kidnapping and murder of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian, who was abducted from his North Ryde home on February 13 and found dead near a Pitt Town golf course 11 days later. Donnelly, charged with murder and kidnapping, was arrested at a Seven Hills property alongside his girlfriend Jenessa Thurston, who was charged with breaching a violence order. Police allege Donnelly was a ringleader in the plot, which targeted a relative of Dimitri Stepanyan but mistakenly took Baghsarian, and seized illegal firearms, ammunition, and drugs from his home. Gerard Andrews and Daniel Stevens, also charged in the case, remain in custody. Investigations suggest up to nine people were involved, with possible offshore involvement, though no payment to Donnelly has been confirmed. The family of Baghsarian, an 85-year-old with no crime links, remains devastated by the incident.
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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 Baghsarian’s kidnapping and murder 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 arrested wearing only his underwear at the Seven Hills property and did not apply for bail, remanded in custody to appear in May
- Police allege up to nine people were involved in the kidnapping and murder plot, with investigations ongoing
- Jenessa Thurston, 23, Donnelly’s girlfriend, was arrested at the Seven Hills property and charged with breaching an apprehended violence order, later sentenced to 10 months jail
- Police seized illegal firearms (including an sawn-off shotgun), ammunition, and prohibited drugs (heroin, methylamphetamine, cocaine, cannabis) at Donnelly’s Seven Hills home
- The kidnapping was allegedly a case of mistaken identity, targeting a relative of Dimitri Stepanyan (father of convicted armed robber Dimitri Stepanyan) who lived three doors down from Baghsarian
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’
- Donnelly’s charges include ‘take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasioning bodily harm’ (exact phrasing)
- No mention of Donnelly updating his Facebook profile after Baghsarian’s death
- No specific mention of ransom demands or Stepanyan family’s response to the kidnappers
- Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks stated Donnelly was ‘contracted to kidnap the father of Dimitri Stepanyan’ and ‘recruited Stevens and Andrews’
- Donnelly allegedly updated his Facebook profile on February 16 (two days after body was dumped) while police were investigating
- Police allege Donnelly was captured on CCTV at Baghsarian’s home and later near the Dural home where he was tortured
- Detectives believe the botched abduction was ‘ordered offshore’ and at least one key player remains at large
- Stepanyan family allegedly told kidnappers they had abducted the wrong man and demanded a $50 million ransom
- Court documents reveal Donnelly allegedly murdered Baghsarian ‘between the morning of February 13 and 9pm the following evening’
- Police found an ‘sawn-off shotgun under the bed’ at Donnelly’s home during the raid (explicit detail)
- Donnelly faces three counts of supply prohibited drug (not listed in other sources)
- Donnelly’s girlfriend Jenessa Thurston was sentenced to 10 months jail with a non-parole period of six months (specific detail)
- No mention of Donnelly’s alleged role in organising another kidnapping
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC does not mention Donnelly updating his Facebook profile after Baghsarian’s death, while SMH and NEWSCOMAU both report this detail
- SMH states Donnelly was ‘contracted to kidnap the father of Dimitri Stepanyan’ while ABC describes him as a ‘major player’ without specifying a contract
- NEWSCOMAU specifies Donnelly allegedly murdered Baghsarian ‘between the morning of February 13 and 9pm February 14’, while other sources do not provide this exact timeline
- ABC and SMH report Donnelly was arrested at a Seven Hills property, but NEWSCOMAU states police ‘stormed a western Sydney home’ without specifying Seven Hills
- SMH mentions a $50 million ransom demand to the Stepanyan family, while ABC and NEWSCOMAU do not reference this amount
Source Articles
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