A fourth man has been charged over the kidnapping and murder of 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian, who was abducted from his home in Sydney's north in a case of mistaken identity. The teenager, aged 19, was arrested on Tuesday and faces charges including murder. He was due to appear at Mount Druitt local court on Wednesday.
Three other men have already been charged and remain before the courts in connection with the February abduction and death. New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon said the teenager allegedly provided a firearm used in Baghsarian's initial kidnapping.
Lanyon noted that Sydney is dealing with a changing organised crime environment, with young people being contracted online to commit serious crimes. He warned that murder carries a life sentence and urged young people to consider the consequences.
Baghsarian, a widowed grandfather, was taken from his home in the early hours of 13 February. Police later revealed he was not the intended target. Despite appeals for his release, his body was found on 24 February near a golf club in Pitt Town, north-west Sydney.
Investigators believe Baghsarian was killed on the night of 14 February at a makeshift stronghold in Dural, about half an hour from where his remains were discovered. His family described the ordeal as a nightmare, remembering him as a devoted family man who would never hurt anyone.
