Officer accused of double murder ignored Instagram plea for four days
Beau Lamarre-Condon told a court he was not hiding from police, despite vanishing after the February 2024 killings.
By Madison Lewis ·
A police officer facing charges of double murder ignored a direct Instagram message from a colleague for four days after allegedly killing two men in Sydney, a court has heard.
The New South Wales Supreme Court heard that Constable Kye Richards took a call from Beau Lamarre-Condon on 22 February 2024. During the three-minute conversation, the 31-year-old stated he was not avoiding investigators. He told officers, 'I just either want to let a detective or a sergeant know I am not avoiding them.' He added, 'Just tell them I will come in tomorrow.'
Lamarre-Condon pleaded not guilty to the murders of his ex-partner Jesse Baird and Luke Davies. The killings occurred on 19 February 2024 in an inner-city terrace house. Both victims were in their 20s. Police attempted to reach the accused for four days before he surrendered. He then directed officers to a rural property where they found the bodies inside surfboard bags.
The court heard that the morning before the alleged murders, Lamarre-Condon messaged a friend known as Fiona Rosso. He told her not to worry and that he would call later. He also wrote, 'Also I've just gotten rid of all social media.'
Three days after the incident, Lamarre-Condon visited Rosso's home. He was crying and stated he had 'done something bad.' He explained that he had set his phone to aeroplane mode because police were trying to contact him. Witnesses noted that he scrubbed blood from the back of a white van parked outside using two buckets. He spent the night at Rosso's home before driving to Sydney.
Constable Hayley Keefe, a colleague and friend of the accused, testified regarding her efforts to contact him. A crime manager asked her to message Lamarre-Condon on his personal Instagram account. On 21 February 2024, she sent the message: 'Hey hun … can you please contact the crime manager at eastern suburbs asap when you get a chance?' The message remained unread. Keefe later deleted the post, noting in her statement that she felt awkward using her personal social media for business purposes.
Prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon killed Baird 'execution-style' at close range due to a jealous obsession. They claim he then shot Davies to eliminate a witness. The defendant maintains he acted in self-defense after entering the terrace to retrieve his belongings. He offered to plead guilty to manslaughter for Baird, but prosecutors rejected the offer. Justice Natalie Adams is presiding over the trial, which continues.
