Man Accused of Murder Told Friend He Was Going to Farm to 'Save Cattle,' Court Hears
Beau Lamarre-Condon allegedly misled a friend about the purpose of a trip to a rural property where the bodies of two men were later discovered.
Former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon told a friend they were traveling to a rural farm to prevent cattle from escaping, when in reality he intended to dispose of the bodies of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, the New South Wales Supreme Court heard.
Lamarre-Condon's childhood friend, identified only as Elizabeth Kennedy for legal reasons, testified that she agreed to accompany him on a road trip on February 21, 2024. She believed they were going to book accommodation for an upcoming trip to Europe and was displeased to learn they were driving approximately 200 kilometers from Sydney to Bungonia, near Goulburn.
According to Ms. Kennedy, Lamarre-Condon explained that he needed to break into a farm, which he claimed belonged to an "old family friend," because "the cattle were going to break out" and he "had to break in and save the cattle."
The court previously heard that the Bungonia property was owned by the family of an individual Lamarre-Condon had met on the dating app Hinge in 2023. He had visited the farm once before during an overnight date.
Upon arriving at the farm, Ms. Kennedy testified that she observed Lamarre-Condon cut the lock on the front gate before driving onto the property. He then reportedly left her alone for about 40 minutes.
Prosecutors allege that Lamarre-Condon fatally shot Baird and Davies in Paddington on February 19, 2024. He is accused of then placing their bodies into a white Toyota HiAce rental van and transporting them to Cella Farm in Bungonia on February 21.
Investigators allege that Lamarre-Condon attempted to submerge the bodies in a dam before moving them to a fence line and concealing them with rocks and tree foliage.
Lamarre-Condon has entered a plea of not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of breaking and entering. He claims it was Ms. Kennedy's idea to hide the bodies, but she maintains that she was left at the property gate and was unaware of any bodies being in the vehicle during their journey.