Detective Breaks Down Recalling Double Murder Scene

Published: 07 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

A detective became visibly emotional in court while recalling the moment she discovered the bodies of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, whose deaths are at the centre of a high-profile murder trial in Sydney.

Detective Senior Constable Christine Abela told the New South Wales Supreme Court that she had been involved in the search for the two men after they were allegedly killed in February 2024. Her testimony described the grim discovery of the bodies at a rural property south of Sydney and offered the jury an emotional account of the investigation that followed their disappearance.

Former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon, who was previously in a relationship with Baird, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Baird, 26, and Davies, 29. Prosecutors allege the two men were shot inside a Sydney terrace before their bodies were transported to a rural property at Bungonia, around 200 kilometres south of the city.

Lamarre-Condon’s defence has presented a different account of the deaths. His lawyers argue that the two men died during separate violent struggles after Lamarre-Condon entered the property while disguised as a food delivery rider. The defence has also argued that his subsequent actions were driven by panic after what it describes as unexpected deaths.

The court has heard extensive evidence concerning the movements of the accused following the shootings and the alleged attempts to conceal the bodies. Prosecutors allege that Lamarre-Condon transported the bodies to Cella Farm, where investigators later discovered evidence suggesting that an effort had been made to dispose of them in a dam.

Abela was among the officers involved in the search of the property. The jury heard that crime scene investigators discovered a padlock that appeared to have been cut. Prosecutors allege the lock was cut using an angle grinder that Lamarre-Condon had asked a friend to purchase while travelling from Sydney.

Investigators also found concrete blocks and gym weights close to the edge of the dam, evidence prosecutors say was consistent with an attempt to weigh down the bodies.

The search ultimately led investigators to a location near a Greek monastery, approximately 20 kilometres from the farm. On 27 February, Abela was redirected there as the investigation intensified.

Her evidence became particularly emotional when she described getting out of her vehicle and immediately noticing a powerful smell.

“There was a strong smell as soon as I got out of the car,” she told the jury.

She identified the odour as the unmistakable scent associated with a decomposing body.

As prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC asked her to describe what happened next, Abela struggled with her emotions. She recalled following the increasingly strong smell towards two blue and silver surfboard bags.

According to her testimony, the bags were partly concealed beneath sticks, branches and stones. The discovery eventually confirmed the fate of the two missing men and became one of the most significant moments in the investigation.

The prosecution alleges that Lamarre-Condon had developed an intense fixation on Baird following the breakdown of their relationship. Prosecutors claim that after contact between the pair ended in November 2023, he became determined to kill his former partner.

The court has heard evidence about the relationship between the two men, including claims about Lamarre-Condon’s behaviour before the alleged murders. Prosecutors are seeking to establish a pattern of conduct that they say provides context for the killings.

However, evidence from one of Lamarre-Condon’s close friends has offered a different perspective on what was happening in the months before Baird and Davies were killed.

Nicole Harvell, who was described as being in almost daily contact with Lamarre-Condon at the time, told the court that she could not remember having conversations with him about Baird after the former couple had finally separated.

Harvell, herself a sworn police officer, said she became concerned after seeing media reports that Lamarre-Condon was suspected of involvement in the deaths.

She recalled sending a message to his phone expressing alarm and asking whether he was safe. She said she received no response.

Her evidence also covered an earlier incident involving flowers that prosecutors say demonstrated Lamarre-Condon’s willingness to deceive Baird.

Harvell told the jury that Lamarre-Condon had previously discussed an attempt to create the impression that Baird had sent flowers to him. An Instagram story showed a bouquet accompanied by a caption suggesting that someone in Melbourne had sent the flowers despite being away from Sydney.

The post was restricted to selected friends and, according to the evidence, Baird was not among those who could see it.

Harvell said the purpose of the post was to create the appearance that Baird had sent the flowers, even though the two men were no longer in a relationship.

When Baird discovered what had happened, Lamarre-Condon allegedly spent about $160 purchasing a bouquet similar to the one shown in the social media post.

The court heard that he then sent Baird a photograph showing his mother with the newly purchased flowers. The image was allegedly accompanied by a handwritten note designed to suggest that the flowers had been intended for his mother and had been sent by her partner, who was in Melbourne.

Harvell told the jury that she remembered Lamarre-Condon telling her his mother had written the note.

The evidence about the flowers is being considered alongside broader allegations concerning Lamarre-Condon’s relationship with Baird and his actions before the deaths. Prosecutors are attempting to establish their account of the events leading to the fatal shooting, while the defence continues to dispute the prosecution’s interpretation of what occurred.

The trial has already heard evidence about Lamarre-Condon’s movements across Sydney after the alleged killings. Investigators have presented CCTV footage and other material as they seek to reconstruct the accused’s movements and establish what happened to Baird and Davies after they were last seen alive.

The discovery of the bodies eight days after the alleged shootings marked a crucial turning point in the investigation. For officers involved in the search, the case moved from an urgent missing-person inquiry to a murder investigation with evidence spread across several locations.

Abela’s testimony gave the jury a direct account of one of the most distressing moments of that investigation. Her emotional response in court underscored the human impact of the evidence being examined during the proceedings.

The case has attracted significant attention in Australia because of the identities of the victims, the alleged involvement of a serving police officer at the time of the deaths and the extensive investigation that followed.

Baird was a television presenter and stylist, while Davies was a Qantas flight attendant. Their deaths prompted a major police investigation after their disappearance, with investigators eventually tracing evidence to locations outside Sydney.

The prosecution and defence are expected to continue presenting competing accounts of the events surrounding the deaths. Lamarre-Condon remains entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until the court determines otherwise.

The testimony heard on Wednesday has added further detail to the investigation, particularly concerning the discovery of the bodies and the alleged efforts to conceal them. It has also provided the jury with evidence about Lamarre-Condon’s relationship with Baird and his interactions with people close to him before the alleged killings.

As the trial continues, the court will be required to assess a large body of evidence, including witness testimony, forensic findings, CCTV footage and evidence concerning the accused’s movements after the deaths.

The proceedings remain ongoing, and further evidence is expected as prosecutors and defence lawyers present their respective cases.