New South Wales police say they have found the bodies of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies four days after one of their officers, Sen Const Beau Lamarre, was charged with murdering the two men.
The story has horrified Sydney and Australia. Police previously said Lamarre was not assisting them with inquiries but that on Tuesday he disclosed the location of Baird’s and Davies’ bodies.
Here’s a timeline of what we know about the Sydney couple’s disappearance and the alleged involvement of Lamarre.
Friday 16 February
Lamarre allegedly took a force-issued handgun from storage at the Miranda police station in south Sydney.
Lamarre signed the gun to work at a “protest activity” happening on Sunday 18 February, police say. It is unclear whether he actually worked at the event.
It was a “user pays” event where police officers are hired for private events – such as music festivals and rallies. Organisers pay for policing services.
Monday 19 February
9.50am – Neighbours hear gunshots at Baird’s home in Paddington, police say. The shots were not reported to police until days later.
9.54am – An emergency call is made to triple zero from Davies’ phone but is terminated before being connected to an operator.
Later that evening – Lamarre allegedly hires a white Toyota HiAce van from Sydney airport.
Tuesday 20 February
Lamarre allegedly makes “partial admissions” about the killings “to an acquaintance of having been involved in the deaths of two individuals”, police say.
Police allege at some point between Tuesday and Wednesday morning, Lamarre drove the hired van to Cronulla and discarded some personal items of former TV presenter and AFL umpire Baird, 26, and Qantas flight attendant Davies, 29.
Wednesday 21 February
11am – Bloodied clothing and personal items are found in a skip bin in Cronulla, which leads police to launch a missing person investigation. The homicide squad is notified.
1pm – Police discover a large amount of blood when examining Baird’s home in Paddington.
Later that afternoon – Investigators search Davies’ home in Waterloo.
During the same day – Police allege Lamarre attends a Bungonia property near Goulburn with an acquaintance. The acquaintance is described by police as “an innocent agent”.
Lamarre and the acquaintance allegedly buy an angle grinder and a padlock from a hardware store in the area before driving to the gates of the property in the NSW southern tablelands.
Lamarre allegedly cuts the padlock with the grinder and proceeds into the property in the hired van. The acquaintance says they wait at the entrance at the top of the property for about half an hour.
After Lamarre places a new padlock on the property’s gate, the pair drive back to Sydney later that afternoon, police say.
Police say the acquaintance who visited the property with Lamarre is a “long-term friend of the accused” and “we don’t believe she was fully aware of what had taken place”.
Detectives say they believe the Bungonia property was previously visited by Lamarre through a former relationship.
11pm – Lamarre allegedly buys weights from a department store.
Police allege Lamarre then returns to the rural property near Goulburn during that evening or overnight. Lamarre allegedly acquires two torches from the acquaintance before he returns.
Thursday 22 February
4.30am – Lamarre allegedly leaves the Bungonia area again in the hired white van and drives back to Sydney.
It is believed Lamarre drove to the city and remained in that area before he attended another acquaintance’s home in Newcastle.
Lamarre didn’t disclose anything to this acquaintance but asked for access to a hose to clean the van, police allege.
11.30pm – Detectives say a third person – later identified as Lamarre – “may be able to assist with investigation”. They raid a home in Balmain thought to be connected to Lamarre.
Friday 23 February
5am – Lamarre is believed to have stayed in the Newcastle area until early Friday morning.
6.15am – Lamarre returns to Sydney.
10.39am – Lamarre hands himself in at Bondi police station while wearing a black T-shirt and cap. A few hours later, police charge Lamarre with two counts of murder.
4pm – Lamarre appears before Waverley local court. He does not apply for bail and the matter is adjourned to 23 April.
Saturday 24 February
Morning – Police search waterways in the Newcastle suburb of Lambton. Detectives believe Lamarre visited the city north of Sydney before turning himself in at Bondi.
Sunday 25 February
Police, including specialist divers, begin searching the rural Bungonia property near Goulburn looking for the bodies of the missing Sydney couple.
Divers scour the area and dams behind the home.
Monday 26 February
The NSW deputy commissioner Dave Hudson provides more details of the police case against Lamarre.
These details include:
The Glock pistol Lamarre allegedly used for Monday’s murder may have been stored at the Balmain police station after the alleged shootings before being returned to storage at Miranda police station.
There were “approvals within the organisation for firearms to be stored at home as well”.
A break-in allegedly occurred at Baird’s house in August 2023 – at the time, Lamarre and Baird were still in some form of a relationship.
Police allege Lamarre sent messages using Baird’s phone pretending to be him after the alleged murders – telling his housemates he was potentially moving to Western Australia and to deal with his property.
Investigators allege Lamarre’s crimes followed months of “predatory behaviour” that culminated in the fatal double shooting.
Tuesday 27 February
11am – Detectives interview Lamarre at Silverwater jail in western Sydney, where he is on remand.
1pm – Human remains found at Bungonia.
2pm – Investigators announce they have established a crime scene at a second property at Bungonia about 20 minutes from the first property.
3.30pm – The police commissioner, Karen Webb, says at a press conference “we believe we have located two bodies”. She says: “The families have been notified. We are very confident we have located Luke and Jesse.”
Webb says the discovery of the bodies was made with the assistance of the accused.
