A breakthrough in the case of a Footscray man found dead in a burnt-out car has detectives searching for a getaway car used by his killers.
The body of 42-year-old Footscray man Kenan Balikel was found in the boot of a burnt-out, unregistered grey Peugeot 407 wagon on Bulla-Diggers Rest Road in the early hours of October 31 last year.
Homicide detectives have been investigating whether the father of five was killed a in car trade gone wrong. He was last seen alive leaving a mechanics shop on Freight Road in Tullamarine the previous afternoon.
Detectives have now established that the Peugeot travelled 14 kilometres along the Tullamarine Freeway to Diggers Rest on October 30 between 11.40pm and midnight.
Mr Balikel’s charred remains were found about 20 to 40 minutes later.
Police have released a map plotting the 14-kilometre route they believe the Peugeot travelled. They believe Mr Balikel was murdered, his body placed in the car and then driven to the remote spot off the Calder Freeway at Diggers Rest, just north of Melbourne.
Detective Senior Sergeant Stuart Bailey said detectives believe a second vehicle must have been involved, due to the remote location.
“Our investigations have led us to believe that another car may have travelled with the Peugeot to where Kenan’s remains were found in the burnt-out car,” he said.
“Those involved had to have had a way to leave the scene and we are appealing to anyone with information to come forward.”
Detectives are also examining CCTV footage from surrounding areas in an attempt to identify the second vehicle.
Just days before his death, Mr Balikel had celebrated the birth of his fifth child. He was also weeks away from opening a new restaurant with his wife, according to his father, Turkish community leader Mehmet Balikel.
The day before he died Mr Balikel had told his father he was happy, “but something [was] wrong”, Mehmet Balikel told Fairfax Media in November.
“It’s very hard, very hard, we want to find out who has done these things,” he said. “He’s a very nice boy, everybody likes him, everybody knows him, he didn’t do something wrong, I don’t know what’s happened.”
He said his son used to buy cars cheap at auction and fix them up, before selling them for a profit.
Police are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the grey Peugeot on the Tullamarine Freeway on Thursday, October 30, or who may have any information about Mr Balikel’s movements after 3pm that day to come forward.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
This story first appeared in The Age
