Policeman charged with murder of missing Sydney duo

A 28-year-old police officer has been charged with the murder of Australian TV personality Jesse Baird and his friend Luke Davies, who went missing in Sydney. The development follows a frantic search initiated by detectives after bloodied items belonging to the couple were discovered in a bin near Sydney.

Beau Lamarre, identified as Baird’s ex-friend, voluntarily surrendered to police for questioning on Friday, as he was being sought in connection with the case. Detectives, however, have not yet located the bodies of the victims or confirmed the cause of their death.

According to police statements, the alleged killings took place inside Baird’s residence in Paddington, an inner Sydney suburb, on Monday. Witnesses reported hearing shouting and a verbal argument on that morning, while CCTV footage captured a rented white van at the scene later that day, which was subsequently found in Sydney’s south on Friday morning.

New South Wales Police disclosed that a bullet matching Lamarre’s work-issued firearm was recovered at the crime scene, along with a substantial amount of blood and signs of disturbance within the house. Lamarre, who failed to report to work on Tuesday, had his gun discovered in a safe at a police station, as stated by Det Supt Daniel Doherty in a press briefing.

In the ongoing investigation, police have retrieved blood-stained clothing, a phone, and credit cards from an industrial bin in Cronulla, located 28 kilometers (17 miles) from the crime scene, as well as various items from a residence in Balmain. Additionally, it was revealed that Lamarre had traveled to Newcastle, approximately 170 kilometers north of the crime scene, after the alleged murders.

While details surrounding the motive for the alleged crimes remain undisclosed, Det Supt Doherty noted that Lamarre’s past relationship with Baird, which ended a few months prior, is being considered as a significant aspect of the investigation. Lamarre, who transitioned from a celebrity blogger to joining the police force in 2019, was denied bail and appeared in court on Friday afternoon. The police continue to urge anyone with relevant information to come forward to assist in locating the victims’ bodies and uncovering further details pertinent to the case.