From job site to murder charge: Sydney tradie accused in chilling case
Just weeks ago he was just an apprentice carpenter in Sydney. Today, 24 year old Daniel Stevens is behind bars facing kidnapping and murder charges in a case that has shaken the country. An 85 year old grandfather is dead. A $50 million ransom demand was allegedly sent to the wrong family. And police believe what unfolded may have been a catastrophic case of mistaken identity.
Chris Baghsarian vanished from his North Ryde home on February 13. At first, it made no sense. An elderly man described by those who knew him as kind and gentle had disappeared without warning.
Then investigators allege a ransom message demanding $50 million was sent to the family of Karo Stepanyan, father of wealthy property developer Dimitri Stepanyan. That is when, according to reports, the error became clear. Police believe the accused men thought they were abducting someone else. Instead, they allegedly kidnapped Mr Baghsarian.
Days later, his body was found near Pitt Town in Sydney’s north west. Police allege he was forced into a vehicle and later killed at a secluded property in Dural before his body was dumped in a field near a golf course.
By February 25, police, supported by the Raptor Squad, had arrested Stevens and 29 year old Gerard Andrews. Both men have been charged with kidnapping and murder and remain in custody as the case moves through the courts.
The alleged mistake that turned deadly
Investigators believe the pair thought they were abducting Karo Stepanyan, not Mr Baghsarian. Reports state police obtained video evidence of a man demanding Stepanyan’s phone number from the elderly victim before the alleged abduction.
If that theory is confirmed in court, the crime may represent one of the most devastating forms of criminal error. One wrong address. One wrong man.
Police have not ruled out the possibility that others were involved in the alleged plan, and the investigation remains ongoing.
“One wrong address. One elderly man. And now two men facing murder charges.”
The arrest that stunned a suburb
These were not long known organised crime figures. They were blokes who, until recently, appeared to be living ordinary lives. That contrast is what has fuelled the shock.
Stevens’ name quickly started appearing in headlines alongside words like kidnapping and murder, accompanied by police footage of the moment officers moved in and arrested the men, taken into custody under force and in full public view.
A case still unfolding
Police have made it clear the investigation remains open. More people could be implicated and further details may surface as the legal process continues.
The charges are extremely serious, but they will need to be proven in court. For now, what remains is the immediate impact. The death of an elderly man, a possible case of mistaken identity and two young men facing life altering accusations.
This went from a bloke who knew life on site to one of the most disturbing criminal cases of the year in Sydney. One wrong move changed everything.
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