Australian cop admits to killing ex-partner and his new partner before being shot, shocking community and impacting Sydney gay bash

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - In a shocking turn of events, Australian police found the bodies of a couple killed by an ex-boyfriend, tragically a police officer, in a remote rural property Tuesday. The policeman was shot dead a few hours after confessing to the crime.

The victims, former TV journalist Jesse Baird, 26, and flight attendant partner Luke Davies, 29, were reportedly found in a surfboard bag they had transported from Baird's home in Sydney. The discovery was made near the town of Bungonia, about 200 kilometers southwest of Sydney, a 20-minute drive from another property previously searched by police divers.

Senior Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon, who dated Baird until late last year, was arrested on Friday and charged with the couple's murder. He initially refused to answer police questions, but made a breakthrough in the case when he spoke to detectives on Tuesday and told them where the bodies were located.

Police suspect Lamar Condon initially hid the body at a property, then returned alone on Feb. 22 to move the body after fearing his traveling companions might have leaked their whereabouts. The unnamed acquaintance did not know they were transporting the body and was not an accomplice, police said.

Detective Sergeant Sasha Pinazza, who was in charge of the investigation, said the search ended on Monday but failed to find any clues about the location of the body. I'm exhausted," Pinazza told reporters. I barely ate or slept. We went home last night very depressed, but it's in our nature not to give up." She said they reconvened the next day and found the remains.

The murder by a police officer using a handgun shocked the nation and prompted organizers of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival to ask police to stay out of the annual parade this weekend.

Handgun ownership is severely restricted in Australia. Police are reviewing gun-handling procedures that allowed Lamar Condon to pull out a handgun off-duty and use it in a violent crime.

Police Chief Karen Webb said, "We're in a situation where the police used a firearm and that will never happen again." She said, "We have to look for ways to do everything we can to mitigate that risk."

Webb, who participated in the annual parade in 2006, met with the Mardi Gras board on Tuesday to urge them to reconsider. She later described the meeting as "productive" and "very polite," but police were still excluded from Saturday's march.

The Carnival board said the LGBTQ community across Australia had been devastated by the couple's deaths, which they had planned to celebrate at the parade. In a statement, the board said, "The Sydney LGBTQ Carnival Board believes that this year's NSW Police Parade may exacerbate the suffering of our communities already affected by the recent events."

This incident not only highlights the tensions between the police and the community, but also reignites concerns about police use of force and gun control. As the investigation progresses and the community responds, this tragedy will continue to shape the Australian community and the national conversation.