Jesse Baird (L) and Luke Davies (R)(Instagram/@jessebairddd)
Police in Sydney searching for missing couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies say they have found two bodies.
New South Wales police commissioner Karen Webb told the BBC they are “very confident” that the bodies are those of Baird and Davies. The pair were last seen alive on 19 February.
Police officer Beaumont Lamarre-Condon was charged with the murders of Baird, 26, and 29-year-old Davies after he handed himself in on Friday (23 February).
After Lamarre-Condon initially refused to co-operate with the investigation or disclose any details, he reportedly told officers where the bodies were located on Tuesday (27 February).
The bodies where were subsequently found on a rural property in Bungonia, a small town about 115 miles from Sydney.
Detective superintendent Daniel Doherty said the bodies were found “near the entrance to the property”, and that attempts had been made “to cover [them] with rock and debris”.
He added that police believe the couple were murdered in Baird’s home in Paddington, a suburb of Sydney. Investigators reportedly found a bullet matching Lamarre-Condon’s work-issued gun, along with a “significant” amount of blood, at the property.
Lamarre-Condon has not commented on the charges against him.
While the wider LGBTQ+ community are said to be devastated by the deaths, the organisers of this coming weekend’s Sydney Mardi Gras parade have taken the decision to not invite police officers to join in.
The organisers issued a statement in which they said: “Sydney Mardi Gras, along with LGBTQIA+ communities across the country, have been devastated by the loss of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, whose lives were cut short.
“Our community needs space to grieve the loss of Jesse and Luke who, before this tragedy, would have been here celebrating with us at the festival. The board has taken the decision to request that the police do not march in the 2024 parade.”
In response, the police said they were disappointed with the decision, but would “continue to work closely with the LGBTQIA+ community”.
Former Network 10 TV presenter Jesse Baird was remembered by colleagues as having a “big, beautiful smile” who “lit up the room”. He had described Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies as “the one”, they said.