Another tragic discovery has occurred in Australia regarding couple Jesse Baird, a TV presenter and online personality, and his partner Luke Davies, both of whom have been the subjects of a search and investigation after having gone missing days prior. Two bodies were discovered in a rural town outside of Sydney that they believe are the remains of the couple, and were found based on information provided by the former police officer who is in custody and under suspicion of the murder.
A press conference was held by New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb and NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson, who both shared more information about the investigation and the latest findings. According to Webb:
Today, this afternoon, detectives attached to Strike Force have located a second crime scene in Bungonia which is a separate location to the scene that they had been searching yesterday and earlier. And at that location, we believe we have located two bodies. The families have been informed, and crime scene detectives have just arrived on scene at that location now, where a specialist forensic investigation will take place.
The bodies believed to be Baird’s and Davies’ were found in a property in the rural town of Bungonia, which is located around 160km south of Sydney. The remains were inside two surfboard bags under a fence near a driveway on the property, according to The Guardian. The bags were apparently covered in rocks and other debris in an attempt to hide them. Other items believed to be related to the investigation were also found on the scene.
While police are understandably being cautious about confirming anything too quickly, Webb talked more about reaching out to the families with the belief that these are indeed Jesse Baird and Luke Davies’ remains. In her words:
We’ve been working around the clock on this for the families to find Luke and Jesse, and I’m pleased that we’ve found them. Of course, it’s a tragic and awful circumstance. But I think that as a parent — and I know when I spoke to Luke’s mom — that’s what parents want, to know where their children are.
This latest development comes days after former police constable Beaumont Lamarre-Condon, also a former celebrity blogger, was arrested in connection with the investigation. The accused was reportedly more open about sharing information with authorities after having secured legal representation. During an interview in the Silverwater jail where he’s being held, Lamarre-Condon is said to have divulged the location where the bodies were found. The area was 20 minutes away from a spot where divers were searching for the bodies near dams elsewhere around Bungonia.
After turning himself into his colleagues, Lamarre-Condon was charged with the murders of Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, on Friday, February 23. Police allege he killed the two men on Monday, February 19, inside of Baird’s home in the Paddington suburb. It’s stated he used his force-issued handgun during the crime, and the weapon’s alleged involvement is part of an additional internal review by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission and Victoria’s police department.
The bodies are suspected to have been moved to the second location after Lamarre-Condon hired a white van for transport. Police allege the suspect contacted an acquaintance who drove Lamarre-Condon to the property after he purchased an angle grinder and padlock, which he used to replace the one on the property in question. After leaving the bodies there during that initial trip, it’s believed he returned to the property later and moved the remains, and later attempted to clean out the van with a hose.
It’s suspected that the accused killer and Jesse Baird were at one time in some kind of a relationship, though details are spare, and it’s not entirely clear if or how one thing relates to the other.
At this time, given Beaumont Lamarre-Condon’s connection to the police, organizers putting on Sydney’s famed Mardi Gras parade have uninvited the NSW Police from marching during the parade as per usual. The decision was made to allow a “space to grieve” for the LGBTQ+ community, according to the BBC.
Sydney, Australia was the site of far more positive experiences recently, as the city hosted Taylor Swift’s latest Eras Tour stops, where crowds changed the lyrics to “Blank Space” in reference to a callback moment from her 1989 tour back in 2015. (Not to mention other location-specific lyric changes.)
