Man stabbed in Sydney may have been mistakenly targeted by ‘amateurish’ teen contract killers, police say
Two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, have been charged with murder after the potential ‘mistaken identity’ death of 21-year-old Luke Manassa in Pemulwuy
A 21-year-old allegedly stabbed to death by two teenagers last week in western Sydney may have been killed in a case of mistaken identity, New South Wales police say.
At about 10.45pm on Thursday 26 June, authorities were called to Driftway Drive in Pemulwuy following reports that a man had been stabbed outside a house.
Officers were told two males dressed in dark clothing and disguises had attacked Luke Manassa, 21, who was with his girlfriend.
Homicide detectives a week later executed search warrants in South Penrith, Mount Druitt and Woodcroft.
A 17-year-old male was subsequently charged with murder and refused bail to appear in a children’s court on Friday.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested in Mount Druitt and also charged with murder. He was refused bail to appear in a children’s court on Friday.
Manassa last week managed to get back into his car after the alleged stabbing and drive a short distance before being overcome by his injuries, NSW police said on Friday.
NSW ambulance paramedics treated the 21-year-old but he died at the scene.
Homicide squad commander Det Supt Joseph Doueihi alleged Manassa was the victim of an “ambush-style attack where two males dressed in dark clothing and wearing face coverings lay in wait at a location in Pemulwuy that the victim was attending”.
“Both were [allegedly] armed with machete, hunting-style knives. Luke sustained a number of stab wounds and subsequently succumbed to those injuries.”
Doueihi said police had not identified any motive as to why somebody would want to kill Manassa. He said the 21-year-old was not known to police.
The property Manassa was visiting when stabbed was known to police, the detective alleged.
“This could well be a case of mistaken identity … that is a strong line of inquiry that we continue to pursue,” the police commander said on Friday.
“It’s probably too early at this stage to, absolutely, confirm that it was a mistaken identity but [we are] certainly heading towards that.”
The victim’s devastated family wanted everyone to know they believed Luke was an innocent party and that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, Doueihi said. “That’s the family’s message.”
A family friend, Jason Morrison, said the tragedy was inexplicable to the family and a big community.
“A very good kid, law-abiding young man with such a bright and great future has been taken in the most horrendous manner,” Morrison said.
“I want to be here today to make sure that everyone is clear that this is, we believe, a case of mistaken identity and there’s no doubt about it, in my knowledge of this young man, what he’s about, how he’s lived his life and his family’s life, he is a very decent kid.”
Doueihi said the teenagers who had been arrested were “known to police”. He alleged both had links to western Sydney street gangs.
Doueihi alleged the two teenagers had been “contracted” to commit the killing. “By the way this offence was [allegedly] executed by these two young persons, it was very, very amateurish … if anything I’d call it disorganised crime.”
Police said they had seized knives, communication devices, clothing and a vehicle that was allegedly used to leave the crime scene.