A former police officer is standing trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court, accused of murdering television presenter Jesse Baird and his boyfriend Luke Davies in February 2024. Beau Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of domestic violence-related murder and one count of aggravated break-and-enter, claiming he acted in self-defense during separate violent incidents at Baird’s home in Paddington, Sydney.
During the trial, Detective Senior Constable Christine Abela gave emotional testimony about the discovery of the victims’ bodies nearly 200 kilometers south of Sydney, on a rural property near Bungonia. The bodies of Baird, 26, and Davies, 29, were found inside two surfboard or stand-up paddleboard bags, covered with sticks, branches, and stones. When located on February 27, 2024, they were in an advanced state of decomposition, so identification relied on photographs of their jewelry.
The search for the bodies was prompted by a woman identified only as Elizabeth Kennedy, who told police that Lamarre-Condon had taken her to a farmland area two days after the alleged killings. Kennedy provided an induced statement to police at Bondi station on February 23, four days after the shootings, which could not be used against her in potential future legal proceedings. She recalled buying an angle grinder from a Bunnings store and traveling in a white van with Lamarre-Condon to a farm where the former officer cut a padlock from a gate. Police divers searched two dams on the farm, uncovering items including a wheelbarrow with concrete traces, concrete chunks, weights, zip ties, and a cut padlock cover.
On February 27, after receiving information about a nearby Greek monastery about 20 kilometers from the farm, Detective Abela and a colleague visited the site and detected the strong odor of decomposition. It was near this location that Abela discovered the surfboard bags containing the bodies. The solemn discovery prompted the families of the victims to leave the courtroom as the detective gave her account.
The prosecution alleges that Lamarre-Condon became infatuated with Baird following the end of their brief relationship in late 2023, which led him to stalk Baird and ultimately commit the murders. However, Lamarre-Condon’s defense highlights his claim of self-defense and disputes the motive.
Further testimony revealed details of manipulative behavior attributed to Lamarre-Condon prior to the killings. A close acquaintance testified about Lamarre-Condon’s attempts to deceive Baird by fabricating interactions involving flowers and enlisting his mother to assist in the ruse. Despite regular communication with the former officer, she said he did not discuss Baird after their breakup, except for a few instances suggesting deception and manipulation.
The trial is ongoing as the court hears further evidence regarding the circumstances leading to the deaths of Baird and Davies and Lamarre-Condon’s actions before and after the incident.