The wide green lawn in front of the Bronte Surf Life Saving Club was dotted with friends in mourning as they hugged, chatted and shared each other’s pain.
A portrait of Davies lay propped up on a rug next to a candle and some floral bouquets as surfers caught waves behind.
About 160 kilometres south-south-west in the NSW countryside, officers dropped the police tape to allow three SUVs to pass along Jerrara Road at Bungonia to the property, about 20 minutes from their original search location.
Police had flagged earlier in the day that some family members would want to visit the area.
“It’s probably mixed emotions for them,” Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty said about the discovery of the bodies.
“You can understand how they may have felt.”
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed police were “very confident” the bodies found at the property about 1pm were Davies and Baird.
Doherty said Homicide Squad detectives went to Silverwater prison to speak with the men’s alleged killer, Senior Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon, about two hours earlier.
“As a result of that, he provided assistance to the investigation and (was) able to provide a location of where Luke and Jesse were,” he said.
Lamarre-Condon, who is believed to have had some prior romantic connection to Baird, allegedly killed the men some time on the morning of February 19, before hiring a van to dispose of the bodies that evening.
Doherty alleged Lamarre-Condon returned to the Bungonia property to move the bodies the following morning.
He said bullets had allegedly been fired from Lamarre-Condon’s handgun but further forensic analysis was needed to work out the exact cause of Baird’s and Davies’ deaths.
An investigation into the process of checking in and out police-issued handguns is under way.
Police said no other NSW Police officers, wittingly or unwittingly, had allegedly assisted Lamarre-Condon.
They confirmed the investigation will continue following the discovery of the bodies.
Lamarre-Condon has been charged with two counts of murder and is currently behind bars after being refused bail.
He is believed to have had some prior romantic interaction with Baird.
