Australia - Thi Kim Tran, kidnapped, burned, children assaulted by five males in south west Sydney, 17 April 2025

[MrJ]

Police believe Sydney mother of two and kidnapping victim to be body in burnt-out car

Five armed men, dressed in black kidnapped a mother from her family home in Bankstown while her two sons watched on, with the younger one also subjected to violence.

www.abc.net.au

Whoever kidnapped this woman and assaulted her two children needs to face the full force of the law. Police believe the attack was targeted, and are unsure if it is gang related. So many questions about this. Horrendous for the children who have been hurt.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Police believe Sydney mother of two and kidnapping victim to be body in burnt-out car

Five armed men, dressed in black kidnapped a mother from her family home in Bankstown while her two sons watched on, with the younger one also subjected to violence.

www.abc.net.au

The article was updated with a new heading

A body, believed to be a mother-of-two kidnapped from Sydney's south-west on Thursday, was found inside a burnt-out-car.

Police said the incident was targeted, and was seen by her two sons, with the younger boy recovering from surgery after allegedly being hit on the head with a baseball bat.

 

[Rush4087]

Sounds like an honor killing to me. I hope the son recovers well, and that the perps are identified and arrested asap. What a horrific crime.

All jmo

 

[SouthAussie]

The DT says the 45 year old victim was stripped of her clothing and assaulted in front of the young child.

The neighbours heard blood curdling screams.

Officers were shaken by first hand accounts of what happened.

The police are investigating possible links to large scale drug importation.

The attackers had a gun. (probably a baseball bat, too? Seeing that they hit the 8 year old boy over the head with the bat. He is currently in an induced coma, as per the above-linked ABC article)

The older boy (15) was also taken to hospital for assessment.

The husband was away on business.

One hour between the attack and kidnap (10:30pm) and the car being seen fully alight (11:30pm), about 6 km away from the woman's house. No doubt an hour of hell for her.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-nsw/body-found-in-burnt-out-car-in-beverley-hills/news-story/784b23438fef4667b933e9c3a59c00d9?amp

 

[Marg944]

Investigation launched after body found in burnt out car following kidnapping - Strike Force Bushfield​

During the incident police were told the kidnappers – who were armed with a firearm – assaulted an eight-year-old boy with a baseball bat before forcing the woman into an SUV.


The boy was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics for serious head injuries before being taken to hospital for further treatment.


A 15-year-old boy who was also in the home at the time was taken to hospital for assessment.

A crime scene was established at both locations and officers from Bankstown Police Area Command – with the assistance of detectives attached to State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad and Campsie Police Area Command – commenced Strike Force Bushfield to the investigate the incident.

Latest News - NSW Police Public Site

www.police.nsw.gov.au

 

[Marg944]

Absolutely horrendous!!!!

The poor boys!!!




“At 10:30pm on Thursday police responding to reports of a kidnapping went to the family home in Bankstown.

The incident described as "horrendous" with an "unheard of level of violence" was witnessed by the 45-year-old woman's two sons, aged eight and 15, with the young boy also subjected to violence.

Officers found him laying on the driveway with severe head injuries after being allegedly hit on the head with a baseball bat.

Police believe the attack was targeted.”

Police believe Sydney mother of two and kidnapping victim to be body in burnt-out car

Five armed men, dressed in black kidnapped a mother from her family home in Bankstown while her two sons watched on, with the younger one also subjected to violence.

www.abc.net.au

 

[SouthAussie]

Well, they now have CCTV of the cars and the kidnapping.

They say that the 8 year old boy was hit first.

Both boys are in hospital, and their dad has returned from interstate and is with them.

The update is in the video in this link, it shows some of the CCTV.

CCTV emerges after woman found dead in burnt-out car following violent kidnapping

Her eight-year-old son was also left in the driveway with horrific injuries after being bashed with a baseball bat.

7news.com.au

 

[Via Marple]

The location of the burnt car was just 500m away from an entry into the M5, a freeway that runs east/west across Sydney. I would speculate that the attackers travelled west, not towards the city, for their escape route.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Absolutely horrendous!!!!

The poor boys!!!




“At 10:30pm on Thursday police responding to reports of a kidnapping went to the family home in Bankstown.

The incident described as "horrendous" with an "unheard of level of violence" was witnessed by the 45-year-old woman's two sons, aged eight and 15, with the young boy also subjected to violence.

Officers found him laying on the driveway with severe head injuries after being allegedly hit on the head with a baseball bat.

Police believe the attack was targeted.”

Police believe Sydney mother of two and kidnapping victim to be body in burnt-out car

Five armed men, dressed in black kidnapped a mother from her family home in Bankstown while her two sons watched on, with the younger one also subjected to violence.

www.abc.net.au

These men knew what they were doing. Is this actually targeting the husband , by destroying his loved ones?
The motive will probably become clear soon...........

 

[Marg944]

Police have released the woman’s name….

Woman kidnapped, child bashed, body in torched car: ‘This crime is horrendous, this level of violence unheard of’, say police​

“Senior police say their officers were confronted by an unimaginable crime of violence.

News quickly spread through the ranks that the body of a 45-year-old woman — believed to be Thi Kim Tran — had been found in a burnt-out car after she was viciously assaulted and kidnapped in front of two young boys.

Police were called to a home in Bankstown on Thursday night after a group of five men wearing balaclavas forced their way in.

They allegedly attacked Ms Tran and assaulted an eight-year-old with a baseball bat before forcing Ms Tran into a dark-coloured SUV and driving away.

Gone are the days when women and children were off limits. There was a code of conduct among crooks. Not so much any more, this is vile,” said a serving detective.

Bankstown Police Commander Rodney Hart concurred.”

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-nsw/this-crime-is-horrendous-this-level-of-violence-unheard-of/news-story/2c4bfda80d619473ea4ce42477a96cd4

 

[SouthAussie]

Police have released the woman’s name….

Woman kidnapped, child bashed, body in torched car: ‘This crime is horrendous, this level of violence unheard of’, say police​

“Senior police say their officers were confronted by an unimaginable crime of violence.

News quickly spread through the ranks that the body of a 45-year-old woman — believed to be Thi Kim Tran — had been found in a burnt-out car after she was viciously assaulted and kidnapped in front of two young boys.

Police were called to a home in Bankstown on Thursday night after a group of five men wearing balaclavas forced their way in.

They allegedly attacked Ms Tran and assaulted an eight-year-old with a baseball bat before forcing Ms Tran into a dark-coloured SUV and driving away.

Gone are the days when women and children were off limits. There was a code of conduct among crooks. Not so much any more, this is vile,” said a serving detective.

Bankstown Police Commander Rodney Hart concurred.”

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-nsw/this-crime-is-horrendous-this-level-of-violence-unheard-of/news-story/2c4bfda80d619473ea4ce42477a96cd4

One former NSW detective says (in the article) that this looks like the ultimate revenge crime, or a warning sign.

 

[SouthAussie]

The young boy is still in an induced coma at Sydney Children's Hospital.

Boy remains in coma after woman's body found in burnt-out car

An eight-year-old boy remains in an induced coma after the body of a woman, believed to be his mother, was found in a burnt-out car in Sydney's south-west.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Marg944]

7news report yesterday…..(18/4/25)

“A neighbour told 7NEWS.com.au they saw a group of men wearing hoodies, who they heard speaking Arabic, hanging around on the corner from about 7.30pm, walking in and out.”

‘This level of violence is unheard of’: Mum kidnapped from home in front of sons and set on fire

Her eight-year-old son was also left injured in the driveway after being bashed with a baseball bat.

7news.com.au

7news report today, (19/4/25), they have removed the Arabic bit……

“One of the woman’s neighbours told 7NEWS.com.au they saw a group of men wearing hoodies hanging around on the corner, walking in and out of the street from about 7.30pm”

Mystery cops still can’t solve after horrific kidnapping and murder of mum

‘This crime is horrendous, the level of violence is unheard of.’

7news.com.au

 

[Marg from Oz]

Wonder if this has anything to do with the ongoing tobacco war between the two warring ethnic groups.
MOO

 

[sunnybree]

Is it possible to rename the thread with the victim’s name Thi Kim Tran? (Per the Daily Telegraph article above?)

 

[Via Marple]

7news report yesterday…..(18/4/25)

“A neighbour told 7NEWS.com.au they saw a group of men wearing hoodies, who they heard speaking Arabic, hanging around on the corner from about 7.30pm, walking in and out.”

‘This level of violence is unheard of’: Mum kidnapped from home in front of sons and set on fire

Her eight-year-old son was also left injured in the driveway after being bashed with a baseball bat.

7news.com.au

7news report today, (19/4/25), they have removed the Arabic bit……

“One of the woman’s neighbours told 7NEWS.com.au they saw a group of men wearing hoodies hanging around on the corner, walking in and out of the street from about 7.30pm”

Mystery cops still can’t solve after horrific kidnapping and murder of mum

‘This crime is horrendous, the level of violence is unheard of.’

7news.com.au

Yes I saw that bit too yesterday. Maybe they cannot confirm some neighbours' accounts.

 

[sunnybree]

Yes I saw that bit too yesterday. Maybe they cannot confirm some neighbours' accounts.

I would say it wasn’t Arabic, that may have been an assumption by the neighbours?

 

[SouthAussie]

Article by the DT (paraphrased) ....

Detectives are examining whether this crime is related to Asian drug lords.
There is no suggestion that Thi Kim Tran has a criminal record or was involved with the drug trade, but police are looking at her associates and their potential drug debts.
While drug investigations are a line of inquiry, it is only one line of inquiry, and it is a fast moving investigation.
The police are looking at whether Thi Kim Tran's kidnapping and death was ordered by an Asian crime gang.
Police do not believe that Thi Kim Tran was alive when the car was set alight.
Police are probing if the attackers knew her husband was away.
Officers who were on that shift when the attack occurred are on days off and being supported by the police force.
The eight year old is still in a medically induced coma.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-nsw/did-asian-crime-lords-order-kidnap-killing-thats-shocked-sydney/news-story/f7321436fd06037ca4f3bc330b8aa6dd?amp

 

[Cryptic]

“A neighbour told 7NEWS.com.au they saw a group of men wearing hoodies, who they heard speaking Arabic, hanging around on the corner from about 7.30pm, walking in and out.”

A possible lead, but I am thinking more likely closer to home ethnicity wise.

'Tran' is a common Vietnamese name. In addition to the Vietnamese connection, I wonder if they victim is a member of an ethnic minority group.

Some of Vietnamese minority groups have honor cultures. These cultures then allow for women who break social norms and thus have brought shame to their families to be violently punished by members of their family acting as a group.

 

[sunnybree]

A possible lead, but I am thinking more likely closer to home ethnicity wise.

'Tran' is a common Vietnamese name. In addition to the Vietnamese connection, I wonder if they victim is a member of an ethnic minority group.

Some of Vietnamese minority groups have honor cultures. These cultures then allow for women who break social norms and thus have brought shame to their families to be violently punished by members of their family acting as a group.

I wonder how the assault on the male child fits though. In an honour killing, the children (or at least the male children) wouldn’t normally be harmed. The assault on the child, particularly given that this child was a lesser threat, seems like sending a message to the remaining family. Or they were just thugs and hurt him to control his mother, trying to make her comply.