US police are conducting a widespread search around the world for missing Nancy Guthrie, and an Australian family is asking for help finding their 85-year-old grandfather. A grandfather was wrongly abducted from his modest home in a Sydney suburb and later murdered, police say.
Chris Baghsarian, a widower who lives alone, was pulled from his bed on the morning of February 13 by an attacker who detectives believe was targeting another man.
“I suspect the intended target will be kidnapped and held for ransom,” Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks told reporters on Wednesday.
New South Wales police immediately reminded the kidnappers of their mistake in successive press conferences, urging them to abandon the grandfather in a safe place.
Instead, a video showed the elderly man tied up on an abandoned property in the Sydney suburb of Durral, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from his home, where he was later found.
By the time police located and searched the location, Bagsarian had disappeared.
Two men, aged 29 and 24, were arrested on Wednesday after Bagsarian’s body was discovered. – New South Wales Police Force
The suspect is expected to face kidnapping and murder charges. – New South Wales Police Force
In the days after his disappearance, the man’s family released a statement describing the situation as a “surreal nightmare”.
“We are trying to make sense of the fact that he was taken and that our family was involved in something that had nothing to do with us,” they said.
“Chris was a loving father, brother, uncle and grandfather. He was deeply loved, gentle and the kindest person.”
On Wednesday, police confirmed Bagsarian’s body was found the day before near a golf course in Sydney’s rural west. An autopsy is expected to reveal the cause of his death.
“This is someone’s worst nightmare, right?” Marks told reporters. “The fact that an innocent person was taken from his home is unacceptable.”
“These people need to be held accountable.”
Chris Bagsarian’s body was found near a golf course in suburban Sydney on Tuesday. – New South Wales Police Force
Two people arrested in police raid
Less than 24 hours after Baghasarian’s body was found, police raided two properties, arrested two men, aged 24 and 29, and seized items allegedly linked to Baghasarian’s murder.
Video released by police shows the tactical team pulling up to a large suburban home in suburban Sydney in an SUV, jumping a fence, banging on the front door and breaking in.
A woman’s scream came from inside. Police then escorted a barefoot, disheveled man to a waiting police car. Another raid led to the arrest of another man, who is expected to face similar kidnapping and murder charges.
“We will allege in court that these individuals participated in the criminal activity with others in the kidnapping of Mr. Bagsarian,” Marks said.
Police suspect at least three people were involved in the fatal kidnapping and they expect to make further arrests.
Criminologist Clark Jones, a visiting research fellow at the Australian National University, said kidnapping was rare in Australia, especially when the victims had no previous history suggesting they were targeted. “In past cases, once people realized they had the wrong person, they would be released,” he said.
He said technology made it easier for criminal gangs to hide their activities and coordinate operations within Australia or anywhere in the world.
“The tougher law enforcement gets on these types of crimes, the more they will try to evade any type of detection,” he said.
Bagsarian’s family has asked for privacy as they process the disturbing events of the past two weeks.
“This is an extremely distressing time and we need space to support each other and focus on what comes next,” they said in a statement.
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