Cops searching 200km from Sydney

The search for the missing bodies of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies has been expanded to another region more than two hours away from Sydney, after the couple were allegedly murdered by former police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon.

On Sunday night, police confirmed a crime scene had been established in the Southern Tablelands, at Hazelton Road in Bungonia.

Divers from the Marine Area Command assisted with the search which will resume on Monday.

The site, believed to be a dam, is about 200km south of the Paddington home, where police allege the couple were killed with Mr Lamarre-Condon’s police-issued gun.

The crime scene is one of the multiple locations established as part of the urgent investigation.

Police have continued to collect evidence at Mr Davies’ Paddington home, where investigators allege they found a projectile and a casing which was linked to a police-issued glock.

On Saturday, police officers also searched the waterways in the Newcastle suburb of Lambton, where it’s alleged Mr Lamarre-Condon travelled to on Thursday night.

Baird’s ex-employer shares heartfelt statement

Channel 10 – where Mr Baird worked as a reporter and presenter – has issued a heartfelt statement, remembering the 26-year-old as a “cherished friend”.

“Jesse was so much more than a colleague. He was a cherished friend who brightened every day with his positivity, cheeky winks and brilliant smile,” the statement read.

“He could handle anything from croc feeding to speeding down a river on water skis on live TV – anything to keep the audience entertained.

“Through his roving reporter role he travelled the country and met hundreds of people from all walks of life. They were all without a doubt left a little brighter having been touched by his presence.”

The statement, shared on social media, said he was “adored” by colleagues, who have been left devastated at the news of his death

“As his workmates and friends, we are completely shattered. Nothing was ever too much trouble. He worked so hard to make his dreams come true. He was up for anything and the life of the party always,” he said.

“It is quite simply impossible to overstate how much we adored him.

“Our hearts ache for his family, who he loved so much and spoke of often. We’re also thinking of Luke’s family and what could have been for both of them.

“Jesse & Luke, forever adored. Forever young and beautiful. Inside and out.”

Accused allegedly sent texts from victim’s phone

On Sunday it was also reported Mr Lamarre-Condon allegedly sent multiple text messages from the phone of one of his victims, suggesting he was moving to Perth, days after he was already dead.

Two text messages were allegedly sent from Mr Baird’s phone by Mr Lamarre-Condon, telling the alleged murder victim’s housemates he was moving interstate, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The messages reportedly led police sources to believe Mr Baird was still alive.

In the first message sent to Mr Baird’s housemates, Mr Lamarre-Condon allegedly said he intended to put furniture into storage as he was moving to Perth on Thursday.

In the second message he reportedly told the housemates to put the property, including a bed head, out onto the street.

The week before the text messages were sent, Mr Baird’s housemates had reportedly “kicked” him out due to the “messy state” he had left the Paddington property in and told the former entertainment reporter that cleaners would be coming to the property on Thursday.

The discovery of Mr Baird and his partner Luke Davies’ bloodied clothing and belongings in a Cronulla skip bin first alerted police to the couple’s suspicious disappearance on Wednesday.

Lamarre-Condon has since been charged with two counts of murder after he handed himself in to Bondi Police station on Friday morning.

A police source said the messages appeared to be “quite an amateur attempt at creating a story so people would not be suspicious when the victim never returned home,” according to The Daily Telegraph.

“They (the messages) made us think they were still alive,” another officer reportedly said.

Police will allege the celebrity blogger turned accused killer cop murdered the two men inside Mr Baird’s Paddington home sometime between 12am and 5:30am on Tuesday morning and used a hired Toyota HiAce to transport and dispose of the couple’s bodies.

The pair’s bodies have not been located but police will allege Mr Lamarre’s police issued pistol was used to commit the alleged murders.

Mr Lamarre-Condon was due to return to work on Tuesday but called in sick and failed to show up to work the next day.

The cops pistol, which was allegedly fired inside Mr Baird’s Paddington terrace, was checked back into a suburban police station on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old appeared before Waverley Local Court on Friday afternoon and did not apply for bail.

His case was adjourned to April 23.