A police officer accused of murdering former Channel 10 anchor Jesse Baird and his boyfriend allegedly sent text messages from the late producer’s phone.
Senior NSW Police Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon was charged with two counts of murder after allegedly using his police pistol to shoot dead Mr Baird, 26, and his partner Luke Davies, aged 29, at a Paddington home in Sydney’s east.
Police will allege the 28-year-old used Baird’s phone to send two long text messages to the former Studio Ten reporter’s housemates, claiming he was moving to Perth.
Mr Baird is believed to have been “kicked out” of Paddington Terrace last week because of the mess in the house.
Mr Baird’s housemates informed him, via text messages, that a cleaner was due to arrive at the property on Thursday.
Former Channel 10 presenter Jesse Baird (right) and his boyfriend Luke Davies (left) were allegedly shot dead by Baird’s former partner and police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon.
Senior NSW Police Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon (pictured) has been charged with double murder. The 28-year-old man is alleged to have used his police-issued gun to kill the couple.
In the first text message, Lamarre-Condon allegedly told Baird’s housemates that she would pick up the furniture and put it away because she was moving to Perth on Thursday, police sources told the Sunday Telegraph.
Lamarre-Condon then allegedly sent a second text message asking the housemates to put Mr. Baird’s furniture, including the headboard of his bed, on the street.
A law enforcement source said the text messages initially led detectives to think Baird was still alive.
However, another police source called the messages an “amateur” attempt to justify Mr Baird’s absence.
‘[They appeared to be] “It’s a pretty amateurish attempt to create a story so people won’t get suspicious when the victim never comes home,” the source said.
Baird’s cousin Austin shared a touching tribute Saturday night, the first in the host’s family to do so publicly, along with several photos of the couple together with their loved ones.
‘Jesse, my first best friend, I am beyond devastated. I still can’t believe it. “Most of my favorite memories in life were me, Luke, Brendan and you riding motorcycles, skiing, boating and camping,” she wrote on Instagram.
The post included a recent video of Mr. Baird and his loved ones taking photos at a gathering, while other photos showed him and Austin as children.
“I’ll never forget our talks, all the times we’d go out on the weekends and hang out with family and friends,” Austin continued.
‘I told you things I would never say to anyone. I trusted you, I laughed and cried in front of you!
‘You were one in a million, you cared about everyone and you left a huge impact on everyone you met!
‘I will love you and remember you forever, friend. It is an honor to be your cousin. Until we meet again.’
Law enforcement sources said Lamarre-Condon used Baird’s phone to send text messages to his housemates after killing the couple to fake an impending interstate move.
Police called the two long text messages an “amateur” attempt to create a story to justify Mr. Baird’s absence.
Channel 10 stars including National Affairs Editor and 10 News First presenter Hugh Riminton, veteran presenter Sandra Sully and Abbie Chatfield also shared touching tributes to their former colleague.
Lamarre-Condon handed himself in to police in Bondi and appeared at Waverley Local Court on Friday afternoon. He has been charged with two counts of murder.
According to court documents, the couple were allegedly murdered by Lamarre-Condon at Mr Baird’s terraced house in Paddington between 12.01am and 5.30pm on Monday.
The shooting allegedly occurred just hours after they were last seen alive at a pre-Mardi Gras party on Sunday at the Beresford Hotel in Surry Hills.
Later Monday night, Lamarre-Condon rented a white Toyota HiAce van from Mascot and allegedly used it to dispose of the couple’s bodies, police said.
Lamarre-Condon allegedly rented the white van and drove it to Lambton, in Newcastle on Thursday before returning to the Shire on Friday morning where it was discovered at Grays Point.
Police will allege that Lamarre-Condon used his police-issued Glock pistol to allegedly shoot the couple.
He then allegedly kept the gun at a suburban police station, although detectives did not specify which one, before taking sick leave on Tuesday and not returning to work on Wednesday.
Homicide squad commander Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said police had compared a bullet casing found at the premises to the police gun.
“Police located a projectile on the premises that had been fired and also a fired cartridge,” Detective Doherty said.
“This has now been physically compared to a NSW Police firearm and forms part of the alleged factual evidence that will be presented to court for this 28-year-old man.”
Pictured are flowers at Mr Baird’s residence on Brown Street in Paddington, east of Sydney.
Family and friends told detectives that Baird was bombarded with text messages and phone calls in the months after ending his relationship with Lamarre-Condon.
He took sick leave from the New South Wales Police for the rest of the day and did not return to work the next day.
Police found bloody clothes and other belongings, including credit cards, belonging to Baird and Davies, dumped in a bin in Cronulla on Wednesday.
Serious concerns for the couple’s welfare were further triggered after police searched the Brown Street property and found pools of blood and blood-spattered furniture.
Police are leading an extensive search for the bodies of Baird and Davies.
Detectives are scouring an area from Newcastle, about two hours north of Sydney, to the Shire in the city’s south, hoping to find their bodies.
Meanwhile, police divers are also searching a waterway in Lambton and were assisted by homicide detectives on Friday and Saturday.
Detectives are relying on Lamarre-Condon’s co-operation, as well as CCTV, toll payments and GPS mobile data, to piece together the events of the days following the double murder.
Lamarre-Condon had previously dated Baird, but had broken up in recent months, and Baird announced her relationship with her new boyfriend in February.
Family and friends of Mr Baird told police they were deeply concerned about Lamarre-Condon’s behavior in the lead-up to the Channel 10 presenter’s death.
Lamarre-Condon surrendered to police in Bondi on Friday and was charged with double murder. The former celebrity chaser turned police officer did not apply for bail and will appear in court again on April 23. In the photo, Lamarre-Condon with Lady Gaga (left) and Dua Lipa (right).
During the course of the investigation, police were told that Lamarre-Condon bombarded Baird with calls and text messages for months after their relationship ended.
Superintendent Doherty He said there had been nothing.“warning flags” or complaints raised with the police since the couple separated, but which in the course of their investigations have “It has been documented that there was some concerning behavior that was alleged by family and friends.”
Lamarre-Condon once found fame as a celebrity chaser and has been photographed with stars such as Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa and Harry Styles.
He did not apply for bail during his court appearance on Friday and will appear again on April 23.