Discovery of Murdered Sydney Duo Leads to Mardi Gras Police Participation Controversy – Sky Bulletin

In a distressing turn of events in Australia, authorities discovered the remains of a couple believed to have been fatally shot by a lovelorn police officer.

It was on Tuesday that the police uncovered the bodies of Jesse Baird, a 26-year-old former journalist, and his partner, 29-year-old flight attendant Luke Davies. The couple had been allegedly killed in Baird’s residence in Sydney the previous Monday.

Following the incident, organizers of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras called for police to refrain from participating in the upcoming annual parade, a notion that the police commissioner plans to challenge.

Charges were presented against Senior-Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon of the New South Wales Police Force on Friday, accusing him of the murders of Baird and Davies, whom the officer had previously been in a relationship with.

According to police statements, early Tuesday Lamarre provided critical information that led detectives to a remote location about 200 kilometers (124 miles) southwest of Sydney, where the couple’s bodies were found.

Members of the LGBTQIA+ community throughout Australia expressed deep mourning for the couple, who had been eagerly looking forward to joining in the Mardi Gras festivities on Saturday. The Mardi Gras Board has stated their concern that the presence of the NSW Police marching at the event might exacerbate the emotional turmoil amongst the communities deeply affected by the killings.

Mention was made that the 28-year-old accused had previously been seen at the parade, and the Mardi Gras Board stressed the difficult decision to ask the police to abstain from marching this year was made with heavy hearts.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb emphasized that the crime in question wasn’t motivated by anti-LGBTQ hate but was a case of domestic homicide. She plans to urge the Mardi Gras Board to reconsider their decision to exclude the police from marching, citing the need for solidarity and inclusiveness in such times. Even Alex Greenwich, an independent lawmaker and gay rights advocate, agreed with Webb that the police should be allowed to march.

While state opposition lawmaker Jacqui Munro has suggested that the state government should retract its funding for the event due to the exclusion of police, Premier Chris Minns dismissed that option, citing the negative impact it would have on the parade’s occurrence this year.

Despite the controversy, if police were granted permission to march, some groups would have protested because of the community’s profound grief and outrage, said Charlie Murphy from Pride in Protest. It’s significant to note that what now is a colorful celebration, the Mardi Gras, began as a protest in 1978 demanding an end to discrimination against homosexuals, which involved violent police intervention. Since 1998, police have marched in the parade as an expression of unity and support.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remarked on the much-improved relationship between the police and LGBTQ community over the years, but he also acknowledged the community’s sorrow over the recent tragedy.