Crowdfunding campaign for Luke Davies’ funeral raises over $76K
A police officer has been charged with the murder of the Sydney couple.
The mother of Luke Davies has publicly thanked those who donated to a crowdfunding campaign set up to help the family give the Qantas flight attendant ” the send-off he deserves.”
The crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe was set up on behalf of Davies’ mother Sandra.
What happened to Luke Davies and Jesse Baird?
The disappearance of Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies gripped Australia when bloodied items belonging to the men were found in a bin in Sydney on Wednesday, 21 February.
On Friday, 23 February, Beaumont Lamarre-Condon - an ex-boyfriend of Jesse Baird - handed himself in for questioning and was charged with murder. Lamarre-Condon, aged 28, is a serving police officer.
However the bodies of Baird and Davies remained unaccounted for and Lamarre-Condon did not appear to be assisting the police with their investigation.
Eventually, on Tuesday 27 February, police confirmed that two bodies had been found in connection with the investigation. The bodies were found at a rural property south-west of Sydney. The police spokesperson confirmed that the bodies had been found with the assistance of Lamarre-Condon.
Police believe the couple were killed at Baird's home on Monday 19 February. They allege that they were killed by Lamarre-Condon using his force-issued handgun, who then hired a white van to dispose of their bodies.
The police have indicated that a woman has been helping them with their investigation, alleging that Lamarre-Condon made "partial admissions" to her about what had happened and that she accompanied him to the rural property where the bodies were later found.
There hasn't been any further speculation as to a possible motive for the alleged murder, but police have confirmed that Lamarre had been in a relationship with Baird and that this ended recently.
Lamarre has been a serving police officer since 2019. Jesse Baird, aged 26, was a television reporter. Luke Davies, aged 29, was a flight attendant.
Lamarre appeared in court on Friday, 23 February. He was remanded in custody and the matter was adjourned until 23 April.
Police force uninvited from Sydney Mardi Gras
Following the murder of Baird and Davies, organisers of Sydney's LGBTQ Mardi Gras parade uninvited the state's police from participating in this year's event - a decision which sparked debate online.
The police expressed their disappointment at the decision, pointing out that the crime appears to be a personal matter and not related to institutional homophobia.
Uniformed police have taken part in the Mardi Gras parade since 1998, however the relationship between police and the LGBTQ community remains problematic.
What’s life like for LGBTQ people who live in Australia?
What’s life like for LGBTQ people who live in Australia? Let's take a look at some of the key equality indicators.
Is it legal to be gay?
Yes. The United Kingdom invaded the continent we now know as Australia in 1788. The colonies that they established inherited their laws from the UK – including the Buggery Act of 1533 that made sodomy a crime punishable by death.
Over time, the colonies developed into states, and a federation was created so that they could operate as one country.
Sodomy remained a crime punishable by death until 1949 (some states removed it earlier than others).
Being gay remained a crime in Australia until 1997 (although some states began the repeal process in 1975).
It is now legal to be gay in Australia.
Is there anti-discrimination legislation in place?
Yes. Comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation was implemented across all states in Australia in 2013. Prior to that, the anti-discrimination protections had been evolving (from around 1986) but had been fragmented.
Is there marriage equality?
Yes. Following a public vote in 2017, Australia has embraced marriage equality.
What’s life like for LGBTQ people who live in Australia?
While there are still isolated incidents of homophobia and anti-gay violence, Australia is a good place to be gay.
You will find gay people living openly in communities across the country (not just the larger cities), and media representation of LGBTQ characters is generally positive. There are numerous Pride celebrations held across the country.
However, LGBTQ people from Indigenous communities have poorer health outcomes and face additional barriers to living openly.