Sydney Mardi Gras bans police from marching after cop accused of killing gay couple

The bodies of a gay couple were discovered yesterday after a weeklong search following a police officer’s arrest for their murder.

New South Wales cop and aspiring social media influencer Beau Lamarre-Condon, 28, was charged with killing Jesse Baird, 26 – a former TV presenter whom Lamarre-Condon had casually dated until recently – and Baird’s boyfriend, Luke Davies, 29, a Qantas flight attendant.

Related:

Killer takes manslaughter plea deal for pushing gay man off cliff 35 years ago

Scott Johnson was found dead at the bottom of a cliff in 1988. Police immediately ruled it a suicide despite the suspicious circumstances.

The victims’ bodies were found Tuesday stuffed inside surfboard bags and buried in a bush grave.

Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox

Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world.

Daily

Weekly

Good News

Now leadership at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade have disinvited NSW Police from marching at the signature Mardi Gras event on Saturday.

“Having the NSW Police march this year could add to the distress within our communities, already deeply affected by recent events.”

Parade officials added, “This decision was not made lightly.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pride in Protest (@pride.in.protest)

Lamarre-Condon was arrested Friday after he turned himself in at Bondi police station, following a widely publicized search to locate the missing couple.

The NSW senior constable did not apply for bail and remains in protective custody.

Police say Lamarre-Condon shot and killed Baird and Davies at Baird’s home the previous Monday.

On Wednesday, following the discovery of blood-soaked clothing belonging to the victims in a Sydney suburb dumpster, investigators discovered “a large amount of blood” at Baird’s home, according to detective superintendent Daniel Doherty, who spoke to a packed news conference on Friday.

Police also found a single bullet that was a ballistic match for Lamarre-Condon’s own police-issued firearm.

Authorities asked for help from the public tracking a white van that they believe Lamarre-Condon used to transport and dispose of Baird and Davies’ bodies.

Still, the couple’s whereabouts remained unknown.

Then on Tuesday, police discovered the two men’s bodies, which they say Lamarre-Condon stuffed in surf bags and buried sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning in a remote area in the Southern Tablelands southwest of Sydney, close to a fence line and partially hidden by rocks and debris. 

In addition to his day job as a Sydney cop, Lamarre-Condon’s social media revealed he was a celebrity-obsessed wannabe influencer who managed to project an online image of wealth and privilege despite his modest policeman’s salary.

Photos on his Instagram account, which has since been shut down, show Lamarre-Condon sipping champagne on private jets and posing in exotic tropical destinations, as well as on Mediterranean beaches dressed in designer-label outfits.

He also boasted selfies with multiple celebrities, including Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga and New Zealand singer Lorde. According to the Daily Mail, earlier this month Lamarre-Condon successfully snapped a pic with Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker.