Accused Killer Sent 1,600-Word Message Faking Cancer to Victim

Beau Lamarre-Condon, accused of murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, allegedly sent a 1,600-word message to Baird in which he claimed to have cancer, a Sydney court heard. The prosecution alleges Lamarre-Condon sent the message after his relationship with Baird had broken down.

Luke Davies called emergency services at 9:50 a.m. on February 19, 2024, moments before he and Baird were allegedly killed. The call was terminated quickly, prompting operators to attempt to call back twice. A male voice, reportedly Davies, could be heard saying "f*** off" before the line went dead. Subsequent calls to Davies' phone went to voicemail.

CCTV footage showed Lamarre-Condon driving a rented Mazda to a Decathlon store after leaving Baird's home on the morning of the alleged murders. He purchased a $85 surfboard bag for cash, identical to one bought days earlier. Investigators allege Lamarre-Condon used two surfboard bags to conceal the bodies of Baird and Davies, leaving them in the courtyard of Baird's rental property overnight.

Later that day, at 1:34 p.m., Lamarre-Condon was seen withdrawing $250 cash in Mascot. He then proceeded to a Bunnings store in Alexandria, where he bought a tool bag, bucket, mop, mop wringer, and disposable gloves, among other items, though CCTV footage of these transactions was not available.

Jesse Baird's housemate, identified only as Sarah King for legal reasons, testified that she found the surfboard bags and a blue tarp in the courtyard upon returning home. She stated the bags were oozing a red liquid. King told the court she poked the tarp and surfboard bag, which did not feel unusual and sounded like a tarp. She took photos to send to another housemate, Belinda Smith.

The court also heard that the day before the alleged murders, Lamarre-Condon inquired about two high-profile murder cases from former colleague Ben Higginson. Higginson, a former police officer, testified that he worked with Lamarre-Condon at an event on February 18, 2024. During their conversation, Higginson discussed his work on the murder of Lillie James, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend Paul Thijssen in October 2023. Thijssen subsequently died by suicide.

Higginson stated that Lamarre-Condon showed significant interest in the James case. He described discussing details of the crime with Lamarre-Condon, including how Thijssen allegedly used James' phone to text her father. Lamarre-Condon reportedly commented on Thijssen being "stupid" for being caught on CCTV and asked if Thijssen might have avoided detection if he had not been recorded. Higginson responded that investigations rely on more than just CCTV.