Kidnapped, body found: The case of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian

Summary

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Episode Overview

Title: Kidnapped, body found: The case of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian
Podcast: The Morning Edition (The Age & Sydney Morning Herald)
Host: Samantha Selinger-Morris
Date: February 24, 2026
Guest: Riley Walter, Crime Reporter

This gripping episode unpacks the chilling case of Chris Bagzarian, an 85-year-old Sydney grandfather who was kidnapped and ultimately found dead following an apparent case of mistaken identity. Host Samantha Selinger-Morris and crime reporter Riley Walter methodically lay out the investigation, the errors that led to Bagzarian's abduction, the criminal underworld’s evolving ruthlessness, and the profound shock felt by a city and its police force.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Night of the Kidnapping

• Timeline:
  • February 13, around 5am: Chris Bagzarian is abducted from his North Ryde home by at least two masked men ([02:15]).
• Description of Incident:
  • Entry method unclear, possibly unlocked door.
  • Violent struggle, glass breaking, and dogs barking—neighbors recall the chaos ([03:00]).
  • Bagzarian is taken from his bedroom and forced into a waiting SUV ([02:15]).
• Witness Account:
  • “I just heard glass smashing and dogs barking. The screaming just kept going and then it was muffled. So I ended up looking outside and all I saw was just the guy coming, hopping into his car and just fleeing off.” ([03:00], Witness clip)

2. Immediate Police Response & Realization of Mistaken Identity

• Initial Police Appeal:
  • NSW Police publicly appeal for Bagzarian's return the next morning ([01:00]).
  • Police quickly address the kidnappers: “You have the wrong person. Please release Mr. Bagzarian, take him to a hospital, take him to somewhere that's safe and we'll do the rest.” ([01:47], Police statement)
• Suspicions Confirmed:
  • Within a day, detectives are convinced Bagzarian was mistakenly targeted; intended target lived nearby and had underworld connections ([03:53], [04:26]).

3. Mistaken Identity in Organized Crime

• Rising Trend:
  • Host asks about the rarity of such mistakes—Riley confirms it’s become alarmingly common for criminals to blunder targets, though “it’s very, very rare that they would actually kidnap and hold for several days the wrong person altogether.” ([04:42])
• Contextual Example:
  • Reference to mistaken identity shooting of John Versace, a young plumber, in May the year prior ([04:42]).

4. Escalation—Evidence of Violence and Collapse of Negotiations

• Disturbing Underworld Circulation:
  • By the weekend after the abduction, graphic images and videos of Bagzarian—showing severe injury—begin to circulate in the Sydney underworld ([05:55]).
  • Host and guest confirm their outlet did not publish them due to distressing nature ([05:55]).
• Police React:
  • Once legitimacy of the images is confirmed, urgency in the search increases significantly ([06:38]).

5. The Investigation Trail

• Key Evidence:
  • A stolen Toyota Corolla (from Victoria) with cloned plates is seen, dumped, and unsuccessfully (then later successfully) set alight. Forensic evidence from the car links directly to the crime ([07:39]).
• Discovery of Stronghold:
  • Police locate a derelict property in Dural, described as a "makeshift stronghold" where Bagzarian is believed to have been held and abused ([08:36]).
  • Evidence at this site matches both that recovered from the car and the circulated images ([09:39]).
• Investigative Note:
  • “There is, like the car, a mountain of evidence that's left behind that detectives start picking through basically to try and pick up the trail of the kidnappers.” ([09:39], Riley Walter)

6. The Target and the Web of Criminal Connections

• Intended Target Revealed:
  • Police determine the actual target lived near Bagzarian and was linked to the Alamedine crime family, a notorious Sydney drug syndicate ([10:37]).
• The Stepanion Connection:
  • Dimitri Stepanion (37), convicted armed robber and owner of Proper Streetwear (a brand associated with the Alamedine family) identified as indirectly connected.
  • Detected communications from kidnappers to Stepanion, demanding a $50 million ransom, reinforce the mistaken identity theory ([13:28]).
• Clarifications:
  • Stepanion is not accused of involvement; there is also no evidence the Alamedine family is involved in Bagzarian’s kidnapping ([12:36], [13:28]).
• Memorable Quote:
  • “There’s no suggestion that Dimiti Stepanion is involved in Chris Bagzarian's kidnapping, nor is he accused of any wrongdoing. But there is a clear link that detectives have been able to establish between him and the Alamedine crime family.” ([12:36], Riley Walter)

7. Bagzarian Family’s Ordeal

• Family’s Public Statement:
  • The Bagzarians are “absolutely distraught”, describing their experience as a nightmare with no underworld ties ([15:00]).
• Host Reflection:
  • “It absolutely beggars belief.” ([15:39], Samantha Selinger-Morris)

8. Grim Discovery: The Tragic Conclusion

• Discovery of Remains:
  • 11 days after abduction, human remains believed to be Bagzarian are found near a golf course in northwest Sydney ([15:52]).
• Police Statement:
  • “We suspect those remains to be Mr. Bagzarian, although the remains aren’t able to be positively identified … there will be a formal process to try and identify those remains.” ([16:09], Police spokesperson)

9. A Shift in the Criminal Underworld’s Code

• Breakdown of ‘Old Rules’:
  • Riley Walter reflects on the broader implications, noting “family members were once off limits, but what we’ve seen lately… is that increasingly innocent people are being caught up in this.” ([18:05])
• Memorable Reflection:
  • “There seems to be less and less of a clear line between what criminals are willing to do and where they'll stop short.” ([18:05], Riley Walter)
• Police and Public Outrage:
  • “I suppose I speak for not only the police, but the public in general that we're outraged... And what I can say is that we will endeavour and use every resource that we have to identify those responsible and bring them before the court.” ([17:44], Police spokesperson)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Host (Samantha Selinger-Morris):
  • “It really does beggar belief.” ([05:29], [15:39])
• Crime Reporter (Riley Walter):
  • “It's very, very rare that they would actually kidnap and hold for several days the wrong person altogether.” ([04:42])
  • “It’s not a situation they would ever imagine being in ... they're living through a nightmare.” ([15:09])
  • “For someone like Chris Bagzarian, a very vulnerable 85 year old who lives on his own, to be taken, and in such a brutal and ruthless way, it’s really sent ripples throughout the entire city.” ([18:05])
• Police Statement:
  • “You have the wrong person. Please release Mr. Bagzarian, take him to a hospital, take him to somewhere that's safe and we'll do the rest.” ([01:47])
  • “We suspect those remains to be Mr. Bagzarian, although the remains aren’t able to be positively identified.” ([16:09])
• Witness Testimony:
  • “The screaming just kept going and then it was muffled... all I saw was just the guy coming, hopping into his car and just fleeing off.” ([03:00])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:04 — Sound of abduction, immediate aftermath
• 01:00 — Police public appeal; mistaken identity established
• 02:15 — Details of kidnapping as reported; witness account
• 03:53 — Realization of mistaken identity
• 04:42 — Mistaken identity in Sydney’s underworld, context
• 05:55 — Circulation of graphic images, police response escalates
• 07:39 — Stolen car leads to discovery of Dural stronghold
• 10:37 — Identification of intended target; Alamedine family ties
• 13:28 — Ransom demands to Stepanion; communication breakdown
• 15:00 — Bagzarian family statement (distraught, no underworld links)
• 15:52 — Discovery of Bagzarian’s remains
• 17:12 — Impact and meaning of this case, shift in criminal underworld
• 17:44 — Police/public outrage and commitment to justice

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Closing Reflection

This case is a harrowing illustration of the unintended victims caught in the crossfire of organized crime and the collapsing boundaries of criminal conduct in Sydney. The murder of Chris Bagzarian, a completely unrelated, vulnerable grandfather, highlights a new level of recklessness and brutality that has shocked the public, police, and veteran reporters alike.

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For listeners seeking detailed journalism and sensitive storytelling surrounding a case that has rattled Sydney, this episode offers crucial insight and important context about the dangers facing even the most innocent amidst criminal feuds.

Transcript

[A]

A scream in the night, glass smashing and dogs barking. These were the first signs that something terrible had happened in a suburban Sydney street. Since then, police revealed this was a highly unusual case of mistaken identity that resulted in the kidnapping of an innocent 85 year old grandfather. And on Tuesday morning, the worst fears of one Sydney family may have been realized with police announcing they believe they have found the body of the widow two weeks after he was taken. I'm Samantha Sellinger Morris and you're listening to the morning edition from the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. Today, crime reporter Riley Walter on a case that has gripped Sydney. So Riley, can you just take us back to the beginning? When did reports first surface that this Sydney grandfather had been kidnapped? And what did we know at that point about what had happened?

[B]

So the first we heard about this was on the morning of February 14th. So New South Wales police made a public appeal for the return of Chris Bagsarian.

[C]

An elderly man has been kidnapped from his home in North Ryde in an early morning gang raid which police believe is a terrible mistake.

[A]

Detectives are appealing for any information with a message for his kidnappers that they have the wrong person.

[C]

They're convinced the suspects got the wrong man and right now the 85 year old is being held hostage for no reason.

[B]

They addressed the kidnappers directly and they said, you've got the wrong guy. This is not the man that you intended to kidnap. He's not the person you were going for, he's not linked to the people that you were targeting. Please bring him home, please drop him somewhere that we can access him.

[C]

You have the wrong person. Please release Mr. Bagzarian, take him to a hospital, take him to somewhere that's safe and we'll do the rest.

[B]

And then it sort of spiraled from there. By that point it had been over 24 hours since Chris Bagzarian was taken. And then it sort of started to unfold over the weekend. Just how serious the situation was and

[A]

what were the first facts that came out? Who is Chris Bagzarian and how and when and from where was he taken?

[B]

So Chris bagzarian is an 85 year old grandfather, he's a widower, he lives alone in his North Ryde home. He was taken from that property. He was actually in his bedroom at about 5am on Friday 13 February. So at least two masked men walk into his property. It's unclear how they get access to the property, whether the door was unlocked, but they enter his property and they're caught on camera doing that and they take Chris Bagzarian from his bedroom. They then bundle him into an SUV that's waiting outside of the property and whisk him away to. We're not sure exactly where at this point they go. Immediately after that, I just heard glass

[C]

smashing and dogs barking. The screaming just kept going and then it was muffled. So I ended up looking outside and all I saw was just the guy coming, hopping into his car and just fleeing off.

[B]

This is completely out of the ordinary. I mean, Chris Bagzarian has no links to organised crime, nor does anyone in his family. You know, typically people in this situation when they're being interviewed afterwards would say that this sort of thing usually never happens on this street. It's such a quiet street. But that is absolutely the case here. I mean, there is nothing like this that has happened before. From what witnesses who were there at the time say, it sounds like it was quite a violent struggle before. Before Chris was actually taken away.

[A]

And so when did police first understand or believe that kidnappers had absolutely taken the wrong person? Like, what led them to think that in the first.

[B]

So over the course of Friday, February 13, after Chris Bagzarian's taken, detectives fairly quickly begin to form a picture that this is the wrong person. Now, they haven't publicly talked about exactly what the motivations for the targeting were, but we know that the person who was being targeted lived very nearby to Chris Baggsarian. So it becomes very clear to them very quickly that the kidnappers, however they've managed to do this, have got the wrong house and they've certainly got the wrong guy.

[A]

Okay, now we'll get into who the alleged target was in just a moment. But first of all, you've been reporting on crime for years. How rare is it, in your opinion, in a kidnapping case, for a kidnappers to mistakenly take the wrong person? Like, have you ever reported on a case like this?

[B]

So mistaken identity is becoming increasingly and probably quite concerningly common in the underworld. Over the past year, even we've seen, you know, a couple of examples of mistaken identity shootings. There was a young plumber named John Versace who in May last year was shot outside his family home in what police have always treated as a case of mistaken identity. It's becoming increasingly common for criminals to get the wrong house or the wrong target. But it's very, very rare that they would actually kidnap and hold for several days the wrong person altogether. It's something that police are constantly astounded by, that these criminals could get it so badly wrong.

[A]

I mean, it honestly, it really does beggar belief. So take us through, I guess, what happens next. So this poor 85 year old man, he's kidnapped at 5am from his house in suburban Sydney. And then three days later you reported on distressing images of his injuries that were circulating within Sydney's underworld. So what sort of images came and how did you gain access to this sort of underworld network?

[B]

So fairly soon after police make that first public appeal on the Saturday to have Chris Bagzarian returned, video and images start circling around Sydney's underworld. Now the, the video and the images are so graphic that the Herald hasn't published them and nor have we disclose the nature of them because they are extremely distressing. But basically they show Chris Bags are in, in a pretty poor state. I mean he's, he's severely injured. He has clearly had a rough time of it to say the least. He's beaten and bruised. And this is when police become aware of this. It's clear that this is a very serious situation. They're sort of circulating by the Saturday night and we kind of become aware of them sort of early on Sunday morning as it looks like the situation's becoming more serious. It took a little while for police to sort of establish the legitimacy of the images. But once they were comfortable that that was in fact Chris Bagsarian in the video and that those images were legitimate, it really upped the stakes of, of the search for Chris. By that point it had been sort of three or four days since he'd been taken from his home and it sort of really escalated the concerns they already had.

[A]

Okay, and then we know that police at one point they searched what they called a makeshift stronghold where they believed that Mr. Bagzarian had been held for some time. So tell us, I guess at this point, what do police believe or know about who these alleged kidnappers are and what was going on in the stronghold?

[B]

So over the course of the week after Chris Bagzarian was taken, there are a few things that happen. On February 13th. There's a Toyota Corolla that's reported stolen from Victoria that forms an important part of the police investigation to trying to find Chris Bagzarian. Because that same Corolla, which was using cloned Victorian plates, was seen in at a place called Glenorie in Sydney's northwest on the Saturday, February 14th. Shortly after it's seen there around 9pm it's dumped in a street in Sydney's west where the drivers of the car try to set it alight. They're unsuccessful in that attempt. So it stays there for A couple of days without police or anyone knowing that it's there. And then on February 16, it's successfully set alight. What the kidnappers don't do is destroy the car completely. So it leaves behind a mountain of evidence for police who fairly quickly form links between the car and the kidnapping. They forensically test items found in the car, which, combined with other intelligence they've managed to glean over the course of their investigation, lead them to a property that they described as a makeshift stronghold at Dural in Sydney's northwest. Now, it's a semi rural property, it's a home, it's been abandoned for several years. It's a derelict, no one lives there. It's unclear how the kidnappers came to access the property, but what police were able to establish when they searched that property several days after Chris bags area is taken is that he was held there for what they say was some time. They find evidence inside that property that not only matches what was found in that burnt out Toyota Corolla, but also appears to match the images and the videos of Chris Bagg's area that was circulated through the underworld. It becomes a real focal point, that property, because there is, like the car, a mountain of evidence that's left behind that detectives start picking through basically to try and pick up the trail of the kidnappers. After the break, senior police who have covered the worst of the worst for decades will say that this really signals a shift in the criminal underworld.

[A]

And so we were recording this on Tuesday around lunchtime and the evening before this, you had finally reported that, okay, there's now information about who the kidnappers were actually targeting. So what do we know about that?

[B]

So as I said, when Chris Bagzarian gets taken from his home, it's quite clear quite early that he is not who the kidnappers were trying to take. What starts to sort of float around within police circles and throughout the underworld is word that in fact the targets lived very close to Mr. Bagzarian and were thought to have links to the Alamedine crime family. For listeners who aren't in Sydney, the Alamedine crime family is alleged to be one of the biggest controllers of Sydney's illicit drug trade. And they've been caught up in gang war after gang war for, for several years now. But they are a big time player in the criminal underworld and they are incredibly violent and have been involved in all sorts of shootings and other incidents over several years now. So detectives quickly established that in fact, the target, who lives quite close, may have links some way or another to the Alamedine family. What we were able to uncover over the course of the week and through, you know, speaking to police sources and sort of working through all this information is that the intended target was the relative of a man named Dmitry Stepanin. Now, Dmitry Stepanin is a 37 year old convicted armed robber, but his connection to this kidnapping is that he's the founder of a clothing brand called Proper Streetwear. Now, Proper Streetwear is a clothing brand that's long been linked to the Alamedine crime family. Several of its members, including high profile members, are often seen, be it in social media, posts or music videos or in public, wearing proper Streetwear clothing items. There's no suggestion that Dimitri Stepanion is involved in Chris Bagzarian's kidnapping, nor is he accused of any wrongdoing. But there is a clear link that detectives have been able to establish between him and the Alamedine crime family. There's also nothing to suggest that the Alamedine family itself is involved in the kidnapping. But it certainly paints a picture of, of just how complicated this investigation has become trying to piece together exactly what's happened.

[A]

And can you tell us just a little bit more about this alleged link between this convicted armed robber, also a Sydney businessman named Dimitri Stipanion? As you said, he's not accused of having any involvement in Mr. Bagzarian's kidnapping, but you did publish that there was communication allegedly between Mr. Stepanion with the alleged kidnappers. Right. So what is the communication that they've had and what's going on there?

[B]

So shortly after those images and video of Chris Bagzarian circulate within the underworld, there are also some messages that appear. Now, it's unclear how legitimate the messages are, but they claim to be messages sent from Chris Bagzarian's kidnappers to Dimitri Stepanion demanding a ransom of up to $50 million for his safe return. Now, there's some back and forth in these messages. The messages claim to be from Demetrius Stepanion, make it quite clear that the kidnappers have got the wrong man. And in fact, it's not a relation of Mr. Stepanion, but instead it's the wrong target. And they sort of go in this back and forth about returning Chris Bagsarian demanding a ransom and then it sort of Peter's out. I mean, there are a few messages that we've seen. The police are aware of them. But what's interesting here and important to note is that the police say that no ransom demand has been made to Chris Baxarian's family across the entire 11 days that he's been missing. So despite the attempts from the kidnappers to get a ransom for his return, there's been no contact between them and Chris Baxarian's family, which would be in line with what police say in that neither he or his family have any links to this world.

[A]

And have we heard anything from Mr. Bagzarian's family since this ordeal began nearly two weeks ago?

[B]

So, last week, Chris Bagzarian's family released a statement through New South Wales Police. And from what the police have told us, I mean, they are absolutely distraught. This is not a situation they've ever been in. It's not a situation they would ever imagined being in. They have no links to the criminal underworld. This is completely new to them. And what they say about Chris is that he's, he's a deeply loved grandfather, he's an incredibly kind person. And they say that they're living through a nightmare that they, they can't even imagine or begin to understand how they've been tied up in this situation.

[A]

Yeah, it absolutely beggars belief. And very tragically, right before recording, you reported that detectives have found human remains believed to be Chris Bagzarian. So what can you tell us?

[B]

So on Tuesday morning, it's now 11 days after Chris Bagzarian was taken from his home. Police discovered human remains that they believe are Chris Bagsarians near a golf course in Sydney's northwest.

[C]

This morning, police attached to the Robbery and Serious Crime Squad located human remains in Pitttown. We suspect those remains to be Mr. Baggs are in, although the remains aren't able to be positively identified and there'll be a formal process to try and identify those remains. There will be forensic examination of the remains and we'll attempt to identify Mr. Bagsarian, if it isn't, in fact, him, as soon as possible.

[B]

Now, it's not all that far from that dense bushland that detectives were searching on Sunday and Monday. And they made the discovery at about 8am on Tuesday morning and, and quickly have been able to ascertain they, they believe those remains are those of Chris Bags.

[A]

And so, Ronnie, just to wrap up, I mean, you have been reporting on crime and violence for many years now, but when we spoke in the newsroom before recording, you sounded, you know, affected by this particular case. Why? So what is it about this particular case?

[B]

This is a case that's gripped Sydney for the past week and a half. I mean, anytime you talk to someone, they ask about Chris Bagzarian. They ask how could this have happened? They ask who was the target? What they also ask is where have the rules gone? There was a time where, as senior police who have covered the worst of the worst for decades will say, that this really signals a shift in the criminal underworld.

[C]

I suppose I speak for not only the police, but the public in general that we're outraged that this was happening and the recklessness of these people. And what I can say is that we will endeavour and use every resource that we have to identify those responsible and bring them before the court.

[B]

Family members were once off limits, but what we've seen lately over the course of the past 12 to 18 months is that increasingly innocent people are being caught up in this. And not, not just in terms of collateral damage for public shootings and those sorts of things, but innocent people are actually being targeted. And for someone like Chris Bagzarian, a very vulnerable 85 year old who lives on his own, to be taken and in such a brutal and ruthless way, it's really sent ripples throughout the entire city, but also through policing ranks and, and has even shocked people who have seen this sort of thing for decades and decades. The ruthlessness that seems to have emerged among criminals in the past little while. I mean, it's not a matter of separating, you know, the people that you have issues with from innocent people. There seems to be less and less of a clear line between what criminals are willing to do and where they'll stop short.

[A]

Well, it's a horribly sad story, but we're lucky that you're reporting on it. So thank you so much, Riley, for your time.

[B]

Thanks, Sam.

[A]

In other news today, the Sydney doctor trying to repatriate the so called ISIS brides and their children has spoken publicly for the first time about how the Prime Minister's stance is impacting his mission to return the group to Australia. The Victorian Premier has referred to police accusations that a top gynecologist performed unnecessary surgery on women over a number of years. And Nick Reiner, the son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner has pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles court to the stabbing murders of his parents more than two months ago. For all these stories go to our [e-mail] or the age.com Today's episode was produced by Josh Towers. Our executive producer is Tammy Mills. And our podcasts are overseen by Lisa Muerthy and Tom McKendrick. If you like our show, follow the Morning Edition and leave a review for us on Apple or Spotify. Thanks for listening.