Senior police officer breaks down in court in ex-cop’s murder trial

In February 2024, Beau Lamarre-Condon, a former NSW police officer, is on trial for allegedly murdering Jesse Baird (26) and Luke Davies (29) in a Sydney share house. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The victims' bodies were discovered eight days later in surfboard bags near a Greek monastery in Bungonia, about 200km south of Sydney. Senior Sergeant Christine Abela, who led the search for the bodies, described finding them as akin to "finding a needle in a haystack." She broke down in court while recounting the grim details, including the smell upon arrival at the scene and needing to identify the victims through their jewelry compared to Instagram photos due to decomposition. The trial has also involved jurors viewing disturbing photographs of the decomposed bodies and evidence like high-visibility clothing, white bloodstained overalls, and a rental car card with "Beau L-C" near where the bodies were found.