Triple-zero call made from Jesse Baird’s phone after shots heard, say police

Police say a triple-zero call was made from Jesse Baird’s phone four minutes after Beau Lamarre-Condon’s police-issued gun was fired, allegedly killing Baird and his partner, Luke Davies.

Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said the phone call last Monday disconnected before anything was said or heard. Gunshots were heard from the Paddington home, but no police report was made.

Police divers spent this morning searching for the couple’s bodies in two dams at a Southern Tablelands property but have since left. Operational support group officers are scouring about 180 acres of adjacent land, and may continue into the evening and Tuesday morning.

In a wide-ranging press conference, which outlined the allegations against Lamarre-Condon, Hudson said police had not determined whether the triple-zero call was made by Baird.

“I’d rather investigate than speculate,” he said. “It will form part of the ongoing investigation.”

Police allege that later last Monday, Lamarre-Condon hired a white van from Sydney Airport. The next day, Hudson alleged, the police officer made a “partial admission” to an acquaintance that he had been involved in the death of two people.

Police divers are seen leaving the Bungonia property on Monday.Credit: Nick Moir

Police believe that on Wednesday, the same day Baird and Davies’ bloodied clothes were found in a skip bin in Cronulla, Lamarre-Condon drove to Bungonia, about 33 kilometres south of Goulburn, with a female friend in the white van, potentially transporting the couple’s bodies.

Police allege the pair bought an angle grinder and a new padlock at Bunnings in Goulburn sometime Wednesday evening before travelling to the Bungonia property, which police believe Lamarre-Condon was familiar with because of a prior relationship.

The woman has told police she was not aware of his alleged crimes or what he was doing on the property.

There is no suggestion the woman is involved in any wrongdoing, and police said she had cooperated fully with their investigation.

After he used the angle grinder to cut the lock on the gate to the property, police believe Lamarre-Condon left the female friend at the gate while he went into the property for about half an hour. The new padlock was then used to lock the gate after he returned.

The two then drove back to Sydney, police said.

“At 11pm that evening, weights were purchased from a department store by the accused and it is believed that the accused returned to that property,” Hudson said.

At 4.30am on Thursday, Lamarre-Condon was seen leaving the Bungonia area again, Hudson said.

Beau Lamarre-Condon, Jesse Baird, Luke Davies and the Paddington home where police allege the double murder took place.Credit: Instagram/Sydney Morning Herald

He then travelled to the city again before driving the van to an acquaintance in Newcastle on Thursday, where he asked for a hose to clean the vehicle.

The van was later dumped at a family home in Grays Point before Lamarre-Condon turned himself in to Bondi police station.

The focus of Monday’s search was a property called “Cella Farm”, 33 kilometres south of Goulburn, where two dams are located.

Hudson said police were concerned the bodies may have been moved from the Bungonia address and disposed of at a different location during a gap in the timeline.

“It is our number one priority at this moment to try and locate Jesse and Luke to give the family some solace and be able to come to terms with what’s occurred,” Hudson said.

Lamarre-Condon’s former relationship with Baird is a key part of the investigation into the deaths, which NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb described as an alleged “crime of passion”.

A Google maps view of the search area off Hazelton Road at Bungonia.Credit: Google maps

Hudson said police are investigating earlier incidents involving Lamarre-Condon at the Paddington home, including a time he allegedly entered the property to access Baird’s phone.

“We believe that he had utilised a key to enter those premises. We believe that he took possession of Jesse’s phone and deleted contacts and messages out of that phone before leaving the premises,” Hudson said.

Lamarre-Condon’s gun was signed out of Miranda police station on Thursday, February 16, for the purposes of his work on a “user pays” police operation.

These events, usually the monitoring of protests, allow officers to pick up extra shifts and fees are paid by organisations.

The gun was later stored at Balmain police station after the alleged murder before being later returned to Miranda.

One of the acquaintances Lamarre-Condon spoke to after the alleged murder was a former police officer, Hudson has alleged.

Police also allege Lamarre-Condon sent messages from Baird’s phone after the alleged murder, including to various friends, telling them he intended to move to Western Australia and sell his furniture.

Tributes have flowed for the couple, while a friend of Davies set up a fundraising page to raise money for his family and funeral expenses.

The fundraiser has passed $50,000 in donations, with more than 700 people around the world chipping in.

The Project’s Sarah Harris also paid tribute to Baird, her former Studio 10 colleague, telling viewers it had been “a really hard week” for network staff.

“It’s hard to even talk about Jesse in the past tense … he was more than just a colleague, he was our friend,” Harris said through tears.

“He had this big beautiful smile; he was so good on air as well – at 26, an absolute star.”

Harris said 2024 was “supposed to be his year” with a new job and his new partner, Davies, who was “the one”.

“To Jesse’s family – he spoke about you often and with so much love, and we are just all so, so sorry.”