Two bodies have been found in the search for a missing Australian TV personality and his boyfriend who were allegedly killed by a police officer.
New South Wales Senior Constable Beaumont Lamarre-Condon, 28, was charged last week with the murders of his former boyfriend Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29.
“We’re very confident that we have located Luke and Jesse,” NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Lamarre-Condon had provided information to help locate the bodies, Webb added.
The bodies, which have yet to be examined, were discovered in two surf bags covered in debris on a property in the NSW town of Bungonia, Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty said.
“Each day, each hour was an agonising wait, so I’m relieved for the families,” she said.
Davies, a flight attendant, and Baird, a former television presenter, were last seen at Baird’s home in the eastern Sydney suburb of Paddington on February 19.
Fears for their safety rose after their bloodied belongings were found in a skip container in Cronulla, around 30 kilometres away.
Police previously said that a search of Baird’s home found blood, a “projectile” and a fired cartridge case that was matched to Lamarre-Condon’s firearm.
Lamarre-Condon appeared in court on Friday charged with two counts of murder. He did not apply for bail.
The crime prompted Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras organisers to ask police not to march at their annual parade this weekend, a decision the police commissioner said she would urge them to reconsider.
The board said in a statement that “having the NSW Police march this year could add to the distress within our communities, already deeply affected by recent events.”
“This decision was not made lightly, especially considering that many NSW Police members who participate in the Parade are also members of the LGBTQIA+ community and are navigating the impact of this tragedy alongside us.
“However, we believe that their participation at this year’s event could intensify the current feelings of sorrow and distress,” the board added.
Organisers noted that Lamarre-Condon had participated in the parade in the past.
Police Commissioner Karen Webb, who has taken part in the annual march since 2006, said she would meet with the board on Tuesday to urge members to reconsider the decision.
“We’re not dealing with a gay hate crime here. We’re dealing with a domestic homicide and … I’m disappointed (by) the position that Mardi Gras board has taken on this issue,” Webb said.
“This time, more than any in our society, it’s time to come together. We’re talking about inclusion, we’re talking about diversity and to exclude part of that community, I think, sends a wrong message,” she added.
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