Police have today begun a new search for the bodies of murdered Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, focusing their efforts on the Royal National Park in Sydney’s south.
Homicide detectives and specialist resources are involved in a search for evidence in an area off Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, near the intersection of Bundeena Drive, after police said “new information” came to light.
Investigators are conducting inquiries and are continuing to canvas residents and locations in the nearby suburb of Grays Point.
Yesterday police divers and teams searched a remote property at Bungonia, in the state’s Southern Tablelands, without success.
A second, smaller search of the property will continue today but police divers will not return to scour the property’s numerous dams.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb earlier told Today that the southern Sydney suburb of Grays Point, where alleged murderer Beau Lamarre-Condon is thought to have left a hired Toyota van, is one search area of particular note.
“That’s an area of interest for us,” she said.
Webb admitted the search area for their bodies was not narrowing and instead widening.
She called on the public to report if they’ve seen the white van from Monday to Thursday last week in and around Sydney.
“We actually think that the search area is everywhere between Newcastle and Bungonia and then down to the southern edge of Sydney,” she said.
Webb said police divers had finished scouring a dam at Bungonia overnight – where Lamarre-Condon is alleged to have visited following the murders – as officers remain on site to conduct line searches around the area.
”We believe there’s still evidence in that area that might link the murders and the victims to that scene,” she said.
“We are still looking for Jesse and Luke.”
Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
“There is still a lot of evidence out there. There will be evidence that is critical to this investigation, and we need to capture that evidence before it is too late and it disappears,” Webb said.
Lamarre-Condon has been charged with two counts of murder and is currently behind bars after being refused bail.
He is believed to have had some prior romantic interaction with ex-Channel 10 presenter Baird.
‘Crime motivated not by gay hate’
Webb defended her comments she made at a press conference yesterday, when she said the alleged murder was a “crime of passion”.
She told Today it was never her intention to offend anyone.
“It was a crime motivated not by gay hate. But let’s be clear, it’s apparent and we’ll allege that it is a domestic violence stalking and definitely murder,” she said.
Webb said she was disappointed, saying this was a time “more than ever” to unite.
“I’m disappointed that the position of the Mardi Gras board has taken on this issue but I’m meeting with the board at 10am today to discuss that,” she said.
“I think this time, more than ever 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 the wrong message.”
