TV colleagues mourn Jesse Baird as hunt continues for slain couple’s bodies
Beaumont Lamarre-Condon is charged with two counts of murder over the disappearance of the two men. Photo: AAP
Detectives will continue their search for a missing Sydney couple after a serving police officer charged with their murder was refused bail on Friday.
Beaumont Lamarre-Condon handed himself in to police on Friday and was later charged with two counts of murder, following the disappearance of former Ten reporter Jesse Baird, 26, and Qantas attendant Luke Davies, 29.
Lamarre-Condon did not make a bail application at Waverley Local Court and his matter was next set down for April 23 in Downing Centre Local Court.
tributes to Baird and Davies have flowed online. Network Ten presenter Hugh Riminton was one of those who worked with Baird.
“RIP my beloved young colleague, Jesse,” he wrote on social media platform X.
“Condolences also to the family and friends of Luke Davies. Many tears tonight.”
Grief grips a newsroom
Ten reporter Lachlan Kennedy recounted his time with Baird.
“His talent was undeniable and energy infectious. Jesse Baird has had the brightest of futures stolen from him,” he wrote on X.
“For years we chatted footy, utes and country music, so because I can’t find the words right now, I’ll let Cody sing it.”
Kennedy included a link to American country music performer Cody Johnson’s song, Til You Can’t.
Presenter Sandra Sully wrote on the same platform: “newsroom heartbroken”.
Earlier, the AFL put out a statement expressing its sadness at the news regarding Mr Baird, who was recently acting as an umpire for AFL and VFL games, and his partner Mr Davies.
The statement describes Mr Baird as “a popular and respected member of our AFL umpiring family” whose career spanned 62 AFL matches, including two finals.
“The entire AFL family’s thoughts are with both Jesse and Luke’s families, as well as our umpiring and broader team during this very difficult time,” the statement said.
There have been fears for Mr Baird and Mr Davies since their possessions were found in a skip bin in the southern Sydney suburb of Cronulla on Wednesday.
Lamarre-Condon had previously dated Mr Baird.
“We are still very much keen and focused on trying to recover the bodies and find out where they are,” Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty said on Friday.
The discovery of the couple’s items led police to Mr Baird’s blood-smeared share house, about 30km away in inner-city Paddington.
NSW Police pistol
Police say investigators found a discharged gunshot round at the home and that it had been matched to a NSW Police firearm.
CCTV footage captured from a neighbouring property showed a white van outside Mr Baird’s house shortly before the couple disappeared.
The van, a Toyota HiAce, was hired in Mascot on Monday night and police believe it was used to move the bodies of the two men to an unknown location after they were killed at the Paddington house.
Lamarre-Condon, who up until days ago had an active social media presence, joined the police force in 2019.
Footage of the recently graduated officer tasering a man at close range in Darlinghurst went viral in 2020, prompting an internal review.
An investigation later cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Late on Friday, the AFL put out a statement expressing its sadness at the news regarding Mr Baird, who was recently acting as an umpire for AFL and VFL games, and his partner Mr Davies.
The statement describes Mr Baird as ‘a popular and respected member of our AFL umpiring family,’ whose career spanned 62 AFL matches, including two finals.
“The entire AFL family’s thoughts are with both Jesse and Luke’s families, as well as our umpiring and broader team during this very difficult time”, the statement said.
- 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
- Lifeline 13 11 14
—AAP