An acquaintance of accused murderer Beau Lamarre unknowingly helped the 28-year-old allegedly dispose of the bodies of Jesse Baird and his boyfriend Luke Davies at a property in the NSW Southern Tablelands, police say.
On Monday, NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson revealed an updated timelines of events regarding the alleged murder of Baird, 26 and Davies, 29.
Hudson said gunshots were heard from Baird’s sharehouse in Paddington, in Sydney’s inner east, on Monday February 19, and said later that evening Lamarre allegedly hired a HiAce van from Sydney airport.
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The same day police found blood-stained possessions in a skip bin in Cronulla on Wednesday, February 21, Hudson said Lamarre allegedly drove to Bungonia, about two hours southwest of Sydney, with an acquaintance in the van he had hired.
Hudson said the acquaintance was not involved in the alleged murders, but has been helping police with their investigation.
The acquaintance allegedly helped Lamarre buy an angle grinder and a padlock from a local hardware store before the pair drove to a rural property in Bungonia.
The angle grinder was used to cut a padlock from the property’s gate, and the damaged padlock was replaced with the one the pair bought from the hardware store.
“The acquaintance was left at the top of the property for a period of 30 minutes,” Hudson said.
“The accused disappeared for that period in the HiAce van, returning to pick up the acquaintance and then they returned to Sydney later that afternoon.”
Hudson said later that evening at about 11pm, Lamarre, a serving NSW police officer, bought weights from a department store and returned to the rural property in Bungonia.
He also took two torches to the property which had been given to him by the same acquaintance.
“We … indicate at 4.30am on Thursday morning, we can place the accused leaving the Bungonia area again,” Hudson said.
Lamarre then allegedly drove to Newcastle in the HiAce van and asked another acquaintance if he could borrow a hose to clean the van.
The 28-year-old then returned to Sydney at about 6.15am on Friday morning before handing himself in to police about 10.30am.
Hudson said during this time, it’s believed Lamarre drove back to the Bungonia property, retrieved the bodies and disposed of them somewhere else.
Lamarre is still refusing to cooperate with police.
On the weekend, police began searching a dam located on a Bungonia property.
“As part of the ongoing investigation by Strike Force Ashfordby, police have established a crime scene in the Southern Tablelands,” police said in a statement on Sunday afternoon.
The search ceased about 10pm on Sunday night, and is due to resume on Monday.
Divers were also seen searching a waterway at Lambton, Newcastle as part of the police probe.
Murder charges
Lamarre was charged with two counts of murder following the men’s disappearance.
Lamarre did not make a bail application when he appeared at Waverley Local Court on Friday and his matter was next set down for April 23 in Downing Centre Local Court.
The couple’s disappearance was considered suspicious when blood-stained possessions belonging to both of them were found in a skip bin in the southern Sydney suburb of Cronulla on Wednesday.
The discovery led police to Baird’s sharehouse, about 30km away in inner-city Paddington.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said she understood there were still many unanswered questions, but asked the community for patience as police work to determine what happened.
“I can reassure Luke and Jesse’s loved ones, and the people of NSW, that we are working around the clock to find those answers,” she said in a statement on Sunday.
Webb extended her “heartfelt condolences” to the families and friends of the missing men.
“It is difficult to comprehend the grief and pain of their loss,” she said.
“I acknowledge this week’s events are distressing for many and I share the sadness and shock about the alleged nature of Luke and Jesse’s deaths.”
Mourners continue to lay floral tributes outside the Paddington terrace where police allege the murders took place.