Tributes paid to ‘for ever loved’ TV presenter Jesse Baird and boyfriend Luke Davies after bodies found
Tributes have poured in for TV presenter Jesse Baird, whose body was found alongside that of his boyfriend Luke Davies.
Police officer Beaumont Lamarre-Condon, who reportedly once dated Baird, has been charged with their murders.
Baird, who was 26, and 29-year-old Qantas flight attendant Davies were last seen alive on 19 February. The search for them culminated when remains were located inside two “surf bags” at a rural property in Bungonia, a small town about 115 miles from Sydney, on Tuesday (27 February).
Network 10, where Jesse Baird worked as a presenter until December, paid tribute to “our friend and former colleague”.
A statement on Twitter/X read: “The Network 10 family has been rocked by the [death] of Jesse, alongside that of his partner Luke Davies, and our hearts go out to their families and friends. We want to celebrate Jesse for the man he was, not the way he died.
“Here’s how we remember him: amazingly talented, funny, beautiful inside and out, and for ever loved and missed. We love you, Jesse.”
News presenter Sandra Sully read the tribute on air, her voice breaking with emotion, before a montage of Baird’s career at the channel played.
He was a rising star on Australian TV and landed his first big break on the long-running children’s programme Totally Wild before becoming a reporter for Network 10.
He was described as a “rare” person who was a “complete natural on TV”, a “loyal friend” who loved the Australian Football League (AFL) and a “cherished son and brother”.
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese also paid tribute to the couple, offering condolences to their family and loved ones. “I feel for the grieving of the family, the friends, they obviously were full of life because so many people interacted with them,” he said.
“It’s a really tough day for the queer community as well. It’s been a very difficult time.”
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon remembered Baird as a “popular and respected member” of the community’s “umpiring family”, beginning his “umpire journey” in 2011.
“Jesse will be fondly remembered for his vibrant, fun-loving personality, his professionalism and his commitment to the next generation of young umpires through his mentorship of state league umpires. Most importantly, he will be remembered for the great, caring person that he was,” Dillon said.
Bunches of flowers have been laid outside Baird’s house in Sydney, while a vigil for Davies was held at Bronte Beach, a suburb of the city, on Tuesday evening.
Photos showed dozens of people gathered in a circle on a lawn in front of a framed portrait of the flight attendant. Some people lit candles as they chatted among themselves and drank a toast to him. A childhood friend told The Sydney Morning Herald that he was a “beautiful soul” with the “kindest heart” and a “cheeky side”.
She continued: “We had so much fun at parties and even just riding the bus to school. He would give anyone the shirt off his back.”
A GoFundMe campaign for Davies, which has raised more than $70,000 AUD (£36,000/$45,500), remembered him as a larger-than-life “human who touched everyone’s hearts he met”.
It went on to say: “There was never a dull moment when his presence and infectious laugh was in a room. Taken too soon but the memories will last a lifetime.”
Meanwhile, a similar page for Baird, organised by his former colleagues, raised more than $37,600 AUD (£19,300). It said he was “loved beyond measure”, and the money will mainly go to charities in his honour.
