The devastated families of allegedly slain Sydney couple Luke Davies and Jesse Baird have arrived at the remote NSW property where their bodies are believed to have been found.
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NSW police constable Beau Lamarre-Condon, 28, allegedly killed Mr Davies and Mr Baird on February 19 at Mr Baird's home in Paddington, Sydney.
Police said they found bodies in two surfboard bags covered in debris at a property in the Southern Tablelands on February 27 at about 1pm.
The property is located on Jerrara Road in Bungonia, 30 kilometres south-east of Goulburn.
Police said Lamarre-Condon co-operated with detectives to help them locate the bodies they believe are Mr Davies and Mr Baird.
Police spoke to the alleged killer at about 11am on February 27, four days after he was charged with two counts of murder.
They have said Lamarre-Condon and Mr Baird had been in "some sort of" relationship in the past.
The bodies were found at a property 20 minutes from where police were initially searching, homicide squad commander Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty said.
He said police would allege Lamarre-Condon had gone to the first property, also in Bungonia, before returning and moving the bodies to the second property.
"What we will allege is this 28-year-old man acted alone and he is the sole person responsible," the detective said.
ACM reporter Peter Brewer attended the site on February 27.
As the shadows deepened in the bushland of Bungonia, east of Marulan, on Tuesday night NSW police were preparing to remove the remains of the two missing men from a makeshift dumping ground off Jerrara Road.
From around 1pm police had cordoned off the entire length of Jerrara Road while search and rescue teams secured the site and sent up a drone to map it.
The bodies of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird had been zipped up in surfboard bags and dumped behind a few piles of dirt just off the roadway.
Police announcing a breakthrough via ACM's blog on February 27.
Detective Doherty said police would allege in court that Lamarre-Condon had previously been in "some sort of relationship" with Mr Baird, a 26-year-old former TV presenter.
Mr Davies, a 29-year-old Qantas flight attendant, was the new partner of Mr Baird.
The alleged murderer was accused of "predatory" behaviour during the relationship and he was suspected of breaking into Mr Baird's Paddington home multiple times, police said.
He has been tight-lipped with investigators but made a "partial admission" about the alleged murders to a friend, police said.
They said Lamarre-Condon had been working as a police officer for a specialist command until February 20 when he called in sick to work.
He was arrested on February 23 when he turned himself in at Bondi Police Station and has been suspended without pay.
Lamarre-Condon's friend helps with search for bodies
Police divers spent hours searching dams on a Hazelton Road property near Bungonia, south-east of Goulburn on February 26.
The vacant rural property was searched for two days and a small dinghy was taken away, presumably for forensic testing.
A friend of Lamarre-Condon told police she was with the constable on February 21 - two days after the alleged shooting - and the pair drove to the rural property together.
The constable allegedly bought weights and an angle grinder used to enter the property before locking the gate with a new padlock.
Investigators believe he knew the property's owner.
The friend told officers she was unaware of the alleged murders and waited outside the property for 30 minutes before Lamarre-Condon returned and they drove back to Sydney.
Baird's friends told he was moving to Western Australia
Friends of Mr Baird reported receiving messages from his phone until just before midnight on February 20, a day after the men were allegedly killed, and police believe these were sent by the accused.
His friends were allegedly texted from his phone saying the former TV presenter suddenly planned to move to Perth, Western Australia. The friends were asked to sell his belongings and clean his room, police said.
A happy photo of the couple at a Pink concert was also posted to Mr Baird's Instagram account on the evening of February 20.
Police said Lamarre-Condon used a key to slip into Mr Baird's Paddington home in the days before the alleged murders.
"We believe that [Lamarre-Condon] took possession of Jesse's phone and deleted contacts and messages out of that phone before leaving the premises," deputy commissioner Hudson said.
Police believe Lamarre-Condon broke into the Paddington house multiple times in the past year.
Police track Beau Lamarre-Condon's movements
Police are calling for information about the movements of a hired white Toyota HiAce van, with registration CW82PM, between February 19 and 21. Anyone with relevant CCTV is urged to contact police.
The van was captured on CCTV footage at Mr Baird's Paddington home on February 19, shortly before the men disappeared, and was later found at Grays Point, south of Sydney.
The van, hired from Sydney Airport at Mascot at 9.30pm on February 19, was allegedly used to transport and dump the bodies, police said.
Along with the journey to the Southern Tablelands, Lamarre-Condon was believed to have travelled to a friend's house in Lambton near Newcastle.
While in Lambton, the constable allegedly asked the friend for a hose to clean the van.
Newcastle police appeared to be photographing the contents of a bucket beneath a tree in an area cordoned off by police tape on the morning of February 23.
The van was then allegedly driven to south Sydney where it was found by police.
Baird and Davies 'suspicious' disappearance
The double murder investigation began at 11am on February 21 when bloodied clothes, belonging to Mr Davies, were found by a member of the public in a Cronulla skip-bin, among other items, police said.
A phone, credit cards, keys, and an $8,000 watch were also found in the bin, police revealed.
Detectives then searched Mr Baird's Paddington home and found evidence of a struggle including upturned furniture and a pool of blood.
A crime scene was established at the home, which police said Mr Baird shared with housemates.
Mr Baird had formerly been a presenter on Ten's Totally Wild and Studio Ten.
Neighbours of the Paddington home reported hearing shouting on the morning of February 19 but police could not give details about the nature of the argument.
Police said neighbours also reported hearing gunshots.
Four minutes after the gunshots were heard a call was made to Triple 000 from Mr Davies' phone, but was disconnected before anyone spoke.
It had previously been reported the call had come from Mr Baird's phone.
Mr Davies' friend Jessica Vaux said "Luke was a larger than life human who touched everyone's hearts he met. There was never a dull moment when his presence and infectious laugh was in a room".
A fundraiser for his family launched by Ms Vaux raised more than $55,000 by February 26.
NSW Police commissioner Karen Webb said she wanted to "reassure Luke and Jesse's loved ones, and the people of NSW, that we are working around the clock to find those answers".
"As our investigation continues, I would ask anyone who has information that could assist, to please come forward and contact us," she said.
Who is Beau Lamarre-Condon?
The NSW Police constable has been in the news a number of times in the past decade.
He first made headlines in 2014 when the then 19-year-old threw a note to popstar Lady Gaga during a Sydney Born This Way concert.
Lady Gaga picked the note off the stage and read it to the crowd, creating a viral moment on social media.
The note read "two years ago I also met you at this arena for the Born This Way Ball where my life changed forever".
"I had told you something I never had the courage to tell anyone before".
"I told you that I didn't know how to come out to my family about my sexuality and I was scared to. You told me something I will never forget. 'If your parents love you as much as I believe they do, they will accept you for who you are'."
"Those words right there gave me a backbone to be brave and tell them. Now, two years later, I finally have and I feel free! You were right, my parents have been nothing but supportive."
Lamarre-Condon went on to start a celebrity blog and was head-hunted by Qantas to be a red carpet reporter. During this time he met many A-list celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, John Travolta and Selena Gomez.
After training to join the NSW Police in 2018, Lamarre-Condon again made international headlines in 2020 when he was filmed Tasering an Indigenous man suspected of stealing a handbag in Sydney.
The video shows Lamarre-Condon tasering the man, who was on his knees, repeatedly in the head and upper body while he cried out in pain.
"Why are you f--king doing that? I'm not even fighting you," the man said.
The former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian said a police review had been launched after the footage surfaced.
Lamarre-Condon was later cleared of using his Taser inappropriately in the internal police investigation and the suspect was charged with intimidating and assaulting police. The man was convicted and given a six-month community order.
Police urge anyone with information who may have information to contact Waverley Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Support is available for those who may be distressed:
- Phone Lifeline 13 11 14
- Qlife 1800 184 527
- Men's Referral Service 1300 776 491
- Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
- beyondblue 1300 224 636
- 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732
Peter Brewer
Lanie Tindale
Anna Houlahan
Anna Houlahan reports on crime and social issues affecting regional and remote Australia in her role as national crime reporter at Australian Community Media (ACM). She was ACM’s Trainee of the Year in 2023 and, aside from reporting on crime, has travelled the country as a journalist for Explore Travel Magazine. Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.com.au
