“They have the wrong man” - The Kidnapping of Chris Baghsarian

“They have the wrong man” - The Kidnapping of Chris Baghsarian

From The Trial: Australia by The Crime Desk

March 12, 2026 · 19 min · Season 2 · Episode 22

About this episode

The episode discusses the kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian, a case of mistaken identity involving a ransom demand.

In February, an 85 year old grandfather was abducted from his home in the Sydney suburb of North Ryde. But according to police, they had the wrong man. Chris Baghsarian, a widower and family man with no links to organised crime, was allegedly taken by a group of men who believed they had kidnapped someone else. Investigators say the offenders were trying to target the father of a wealthy property developer and allegedly demanded a ransom of $50 million. Eleven days after the alleged abduction, Baghsarian’s body was discovered.  In this episode, Wayne is joined by Paul Shapiro, to discuss the timeline of this horrific case. Now that two men who have been charged with kidnapping and murder, we examine the disturbing allegations, the evidence police claim links the suspects to the crime, and how a fatal case of mistaken identity unfolded. The Trial Australia is part of The Crime Desk. Subscribe today for ad-free listening, early access to new shows, exclusive bonus episodes and complete access to our true-crime podcast collection. Visit thecrimedesk.com for more information. Follow us on Tiktok @DailyMailCrime Follow us on instagram @TheTrialPod Subscribe to our YouTube channel…

People in this episode

Host: Wayne

Guest: Paul Shapiro

Topics covered

  • kidnapping
  • mistaken identity
  • true crime
  • murder investigation
  • ransom

Keywords

  • Chris Baghsarian
  • kidnapping
  • murder
  • mistaken identity
  • ransom
  • Sydney
  • true crime

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Crime Desk

Places: Sydney, North Ryde

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