Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Police officer charged with murder of Australian TV star Jesse Baird and his partner Luke Davies

Beau Lamarre-Condon handed himself in at the Bondi police station in Sydney on Friday morning

Maroosha Muzaffar
Friday 23 February 2024 15:27 GMT
Comments
Screengrab. Australian TV star Jesse Baird and his boyfriend Luke Davies
Screengrab. Australian TV star Jesse Baird and his boyfriend Luke Davies (news.com.au / YouTube)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A 28-year-old police officer has been charged with two counts of murder over the suspicious disappearance of Australian TV presenter Jesse Baird and his partner Luke Davies.

Beau Lamarre-Condon handed himself in at the Bondi police station in Sydney on Friday morning and as per reports, did not show any emotion as charges of murder were read out in Waverley local court on Friday afternoon.

Detectives had been searching for Mr Lamarre-Condon in connection with the disappearance of Baird, 26, and his partner Davies, 29, ABC reported. Mr Davies was a Qantas flight attendant.

According to court documents, the two men were allegedly murdered “between 12.01am and 5.30pm on the 19th February 2024 at Paddington”.

The investigation intensified when police found a “significant” amount of blood in Baird’s home and later when the men’s belongings were discovered in a bin near Sydney.

Despite a thorough search, authorities have yet to find the bodies of the two men or determine the cause of death.

Detective superintendent Jodi Radmore stated that a worker discovered several bloodstained items in a skip bin in Cronulla on Wednesday, deeming them “unusual” and prompting the search of the house.

The police allege that the murders took place at Baird’s home in Paddington, Sydney, with the bodies later moved in a rented van, which was spotted on CCTV and later found with blood-stained items.

“Charges have been submitted, police will refuse bail,” Detective superintendent Danny Doherty from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad was quoted as saying by 9News.

“Police located a projectile at the premises which had been discharged … this has been ballistically matched to a NSW Police firearm,” Mr Doherty said.

Baird worked for Network 10 for over seven years, serving in reporting roles for Studio 10 and as a presenter for Totally Wild, while his partner, Davies, held a full-time position as a flight attendant with Qantas.

The case has drawn extensive public attention, with police appealing for more information to help locate the bodies and provide closure for the families involved.

Meanwhile, Mr Lamarre-Condon is due next to appear before court on 23 April.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in