Jurors in the trial of former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon have been shown photographs of the decomposed bodies of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies. Mr Lamarre-Condon, 31, has pleaded not guilty to the February 2024 murders of Mr Baird, 26, and Mr Davies, 29.
The third week of the double murder trial has focused on how investigators located the remains in rural New South Wales. Retired crime scene officer Greg Moon, who coordinated the forensic examination of the Greek monastery at Bungonia where the bodies were found, gave evidence on Thursday regarding their condition.
Justice Natalie Adams warned jurors on Thursday that they would see confronting photos of decomposition. Mr Moon stated that the bodies were discovered inside two surfboard or stand-up paddleboard bags, with the smaller bag zipped inside a larger one. He added that the bodies were found one on top of the other, with rocks and small branches placed on them.
Fellow investigator Christine Abela told a NSW supreme court jury on Wednesday that she detected a strong smell of a decomposing body upon arriving at the rural property more than a week after the two men were killed. Ms Abela detailed how concrete blocks, a gym weight, and a cut padlock were found at Cella Farm, where Mr Lamarre-Condon allegedly attempted to sink the bodies in a dam.
Mr Moon indicated that the remains had been at the monastery, approximately 20km from the farm, for several days, noting the presence of maggots, other insects, and decompositional fluids in the bags. Mr Lamarre-Condon's barrister has stated that actions to dispose of the bodies at Bungonia, 200km south of Sydney, were indicative of panic over unexpected deaths.
Earlier in the trial, jurors were shown CCTV footage allegedly depicting Mr Lamarre-Condon buying a second surfboard bag and hiring a larger vehicle in the hours after the killings. The footage, released by the court on Thursday, allegedly shows a heavily disguised Mr Lamarre-Condon returning to the alleged murder scene with cleaning products and a tarpaulin. The 12-week trial is ongoing.