Elderly Man Taken From His Bed and Murdered in Chilling Case of Mistaken Identity

In an incident that has shocked Sydney and the entire country, police have confirmed human remains located in the north-west of the city.

Following investigations, reports confirmed the body parts to be those of 85-year old grandfather Chris Baghsarian, who was kidnapped in his home earlier this month in what the detectives describe as a case of mistaken identity abduction resulting in his murder.

The tragedy has triggered a massive police probe, multiple arrests, and mounting questions about organised crime in the city's suburbs.

Kidnapped From His Own Home

At around 5 am, February 13, Baghsarian was reportedly kidnapped out of his bedroom in the small residential suburb of North Ryde in Sydney's north by a group of men who broke into his residence and bundled him inside a getaway car.

According to police, the old widower was not involved with any crime and was kidnapped by mistake — the criminals seem to have made a mistake and wanted to kidnap a relative of a person having a connection with the underworld of Sydney.

A few days after the kidnapping, the police and relatives of the family took a public stand to appeal that Baghsarian be returned safely. After the release of CCTV footage by investigators, masked men were seen on camera bundling him into a sport utility vehicle at the front of his home, which raised widespread concern regarding his safety.

There was no news of his situation or well-being, despite detectives making desperate calls to kidnappers asking them to release him.

Human Remains Found After Days Of Searching

Tuesday morning ended a long search that involved detectives, specialist teams, and neighbourhood volunteers as officers discovered human remains in a golf course in Pitt Town in Sydney's north-western outskirts.

The site, usually a serene semi-rural area, became the centre of a grim scene as investigators searched to confirm the identity of the remains. They have now been confirmed by the police as belonging to Chris Baggsarian, ending days of doubt, but with devastating clarity, to his family and to the community at large.

Detectives also retrieved evidence connected to the kidnapping, such as a Toyota Corolla that was burnt down and was thought to have been used by the kidnappers.

According to forensic analysis following its discovery in Westmead, a suburb of Sydney, where it was torched, the vehicle had cloned plates. Items in the vehicle assisted in connecting the car to different places where the investigators feel Baghsarian was detained prior to his death.

Arrests After Early Morning Raids

Shortly after finding the remains, police implemented search warrants at residences in Kenthurst and Castle Hill, which are located in north Sydney, and arrested a pair of 29-year-old and 24-year-old men. The two were both taken to Riverstone Police Station for questioning, where detectives confirmed that the duo is expected to be charged with kidnapping and murder in connection with Baghsarian's death.

Senior officers have noted that the arrests mark significant progress in the investigation but emphasised that inquiries will remain ongoing. According to the police, the criminal conspiracy might have other accomplices, and additional arrests have not been ruled out as evidence is still being processed.

Police said the operation could have involved up to three people. Robbery and Serious Crimes Squad Commander Andrew Marks said the criminal conspiracy might have other accomplices, and additional arrests have not been ruled out as evidence is still being processed.

'We suspect there is more than three [alleged offenders involved],' he said.

'At this stage, we don't have any evidence to implicate others, but that is ongoing.'

Mistaken Identity And Organised Crime Links

From the outset, detectives said they believed Baghsarian was the wrong target in the abduction. Initial investigations by the police revealed that most probably, the kidnappers were targeting a different house near them, which has links to organised crime gangs, possibly of a convicted armed robber and his family.

Police suspect the wrongful identification could have led to the lapse of communication between the kidnappers and the family of the targeted individual.

'I believe somebody else was sending those messages,' said Superintendent Marks, mentioned earlier.

Information from authorities suggests that the kidnappers might have demanded a ransom of $50 million (£37 million) from the intended target's family, though Baghsarian's family never received such a demand. Detectives have also indicated that the two men arrested this week are not believed to have been responsible for those ransom messages.

Mistaken Identity And Organised Crime Links

The announcement of the death of Baghsarian has spread all over Sydney. Residents, who had been monitoring the search progressively with increasing worry, were horrified by the violence that penetrated to their community.

Family members of the victim have sought privacy because of grieving the death of a man, who has been referred to as a loving grandfather or an ordinary member of his neighbourhood.

NSW Police Superintendent Andrew Marks at the scene of the arrests described the case as 'somebody's worst nightmare.'

'The fact that an innocent man was taken from his home is not acceptable,' he said.

'These people need to be held to account for that.'

The police are still making calls to the community to give information that could help in the case being investigated, and anyone who has any idea of what took place is urged to volunteer.