Court Reveals How Alleged Killer Tried to Conceal Double Shooting Evidence
Investigators found traces of blood in Jesse Baird's bedroom, which had allegedly been covered up.
Court documents unsealed this week revealed how police discovered evidence of a double shooting in Jesse Baird's bedroom, including traces of blood that the accused killer allegedly attempted to conceal. Footage released Tuesday shows the moment officers entered Baird's home on February 22, 2024, two days after he and his partner, Luke Davies, disappeared.
Body-worn camera footage captured Detective Senior Constable Alistair Wright and a colleague arriving at Baird's residence and identifying themselves to a cleaner at the door. After confirming she was the cleaner and that no tenants were present, the officers were granted permission to enter. When asked if there was any blood, the cleaner, whose first language was not English, responded, "We clean." The officers then instructed the cleaners to stop their work and leave the premises, subsequently declaring the terrace a crime scene.
Senior Sergeant Bronwyn Lansley testified that Baird's blood had seeped through floorboards and into the space beneath the house. Remnants of blood were also found on rugs in the living room, hallway, and Baird's bedroom. Lansley stated that Davies' blood was predominantly located within Baird's bedroom, suggesting the two men were together in that room at some point after their deaths. Luminol, a chemical that detects blood, revealed significant traces in the kitchen, Baird's bedroom, and throughout the living room.
Further evidence emerged when a groundskeeper discovered bloodied bedsheets and clothing in a skip bin in Cronulla, southern Sydney. The bin also contained Luke Davies' identification and a Qantas card; Davies was employed as a flight attendant. The groundskeeper, Craig Scott, noted in a statement that the bin had been filled with grass trimmings when he finished work on February 20, 2024, the day after the alleged murders. The following day, he observed that the bin appeared to have had additional rubbish added. He and a colleague investigated, finding dark bin bags. Upon opening one bag, Scott discovered brown clothing with red stains he believed to be blood. His colleague found a bedsheet with similar stains in another bag. The bin also contained a silver watch and a leather pouch with Davies' credit cards.
Suspicious about their findings, Scott and his colleague took the watch and leather pouch to the police station. Investigators later found that what appeared to be bullet holes in Baird's bedroom door had allegedly been concealed with paint and putty. The court heard that the position of hooks on the door also appeared to have been altered.
