Accused murderer reveals body location, claims ‘I’m not a bad person’

The 31-year-old former police officer is on trial for the double murder, accused of fatally shooting Baird and Davies with his service weapon at Baird’s Paddington residence in February 2024. The victims’ bodies were discovered a week later, concealed in surfboard bags near a monastery in Bungonia, a rural area south of Sydney.

Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty, maintaining a self-defense claim. The court has previously viewed body-cam footage of his surrender at Bondi Police Station four days after the alleged killings.

Detective Sasha Pinazza, leading the investigation, stated in her testimony that she advised Lamarre-Condon about the ‘no body, no parole’ legislation, explaining its implications for parole eligibility if the bodies were not found and he did not assist in their recovery. When informed about potential evidence suggesting the bodies were in a dam or on a farm near Goulburn, he declined to comment, citing legal counsel.

During an interview, Lamarre-Condon reportedly cried and spoke about his mental health, claiming to suffer from PTSD and attributing past work experiences to his distress. He stated, “I don’t want you to judge me, I’m not a bad person.” He also inquired about the progress of the search for the victims’ bodies.

Four days later, police informed him at Silverwater prison that they wished to discuss the location of the bodies. Following consultation with his lawyer, he identified the area as near a Bungonia farm already under police investigation.

Police presented maps and images to Lamarre-Condon, who indicated the routes he took to the monastery and described its gates. He then identified a property believed to be where he left the bodies.

“The accused believed to the best of his recollection this to be location where he left the bodies of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies,” Detective Pinazza’s statement read. He expressed a desire to speak with the families of Baird and Davies and insisted, “I’m not that person.”

Police subsequently located the bodies near the monastery entrance, inside surfboard bags concealed with sticks and rocks. Evidence presented earlier in the trial indicated Lamarre-Condon attempted to submerge the bags in a dam using quick-set cement and weights, having transported them in a rental van.

The defense has asserted that Lamarre-Condon acted in a state of panic following two separate confrontations involving the firearm, leading to the deaths. The prosecution is expected to conclude its case shortly in the trial, which is currently in its seventh week and is anticipated to last for three months.