“This information was indeed obtained with the assistance of the defendants.”
Sydney:
Australian police on Tuesday discovered the bodies of a TV presenter and his flight attendant boyfriend in a rural area outside Sydney, acting on information from a police officer charged with murder.
“We are very confident that Luke and Jesse have been found,” New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb said, noting that the families of the two victims were both relieved and saddened by the news.
The discovery ends a nearly week-long high-profile search for the remains of entertainment journalist Jesse Baird, 26, and Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies, 29.
A 28-year-old serving police officer who had a relationship with Baird has been charged with two counts of murder.
“This information was indeed obtained with the assistance of the defendant,” Weber said.
Police believe the pair were shot at a home in central Sydney before being put into surfboard bags and transported to a country home about two hours’ drive from the city.
Ballistics testing showed the pellets found in the apartment matched a police-issued firearm. The weapon was later found in a police station safe.
Police described the killings as “domestic in nature” and not “gay hate crimes.”
The suspect was a celebrity chaser and blogger before joining the police force.
He has posed with dozens of stars including Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Ben Stiller.
He was previously under investigation for a Taser attack on an Aboriginal man in 2020 after a video circulated online.
News reports in 2014 indicated that he publicly acknowledged being gay by throwing a letter on stage at a Lady Gaga concert, which the star read to a crowd that included his sister.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
