Trial Hears Details of Decomposition and Discovery in Baird-Davies Murder Case
Forensic evidence and witness testimony reveal the challenges faced by police in identifying the decomposed bodies of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird, and the alleged actions of Beau Lamarre-Condon.
DNA evidence belonging to Luke Davies was found on the trigger and handle of a Glock pistol, the court heard during the trial of Beau Lamarre-Condon. Senior Sergeant Bridey Allan, a police forensic expert, testified that she examined the firearm for fingerprints and biological material. Swabs from the gun handle revealed Davies' DNA, while DNA from both Davies and Lamarre-Condon was found on the trigger. Davies' and Jesse Baird's DNA was also present on the muzzle.
Lamarre-Condon's defense previously argued that Davies accidentally shot himself with the gun. However, prosecutors allege that Lamarre-Condon shot Davies in the head through a door. The court also heard that Lamarre-Condon is accused of transporting the bodies of Baird and Davies to Bungonia, a rural area, with the assistance of a female acquaintance who purchased an angle grinder for him.
Senior Sergeant Christine Abela recounted how the acquaintance, identified as Elizabeth Kennedy for legal reasons, approached Bondi Police Station with a lawyer on February 21, 2024. Ms. Kennedy provided information about the missing persons, Baird and Davies, under an agreement that she would not face criminal charges. She told police that she had driven to the Goulburn area with Lamarre-Condon in a white van not belonging to him. During the trip, they stopped at a hardware store where Kennedy bought Lamarre-Condon an angle grinder before they proceeded to a property in Bungonia.
It is alleged that Lamarre-Condon used the angle grinder to break a padlock on a property before placing it in the letterbox. Senior Sergeant Abela described going to Bungonia with police over several days until they located a property matching Ms. Kennedy's description. During this time, Abela became emotional as she recalled the moment she realized the decomposed bodies were nearby. "As soon as I got out of the car, there was a strong smell," she testified, identifying it as the odor of decomposition. The smell intensified as she approached the fence, where she observed two surfboard bags stacked on top of each other, concealed with branches and stones.
Jesse Baird's body was allegedly placed inside three bags: a black garbage bag and two surfboard bags. Jurors were shown graphic images of the surfboard bags containing the bodies of Baird and his boyfriend, Luke Davies. Lamarre-Condon is accused of attempting to hide the body bags at the rural Bungonia property by covering them with rocks, tree branches, and foliage, though the blue bags were reportedly visible underneath. The court heard that Lamarre-Condon allegedly stacked one body on top of the other.