Australian police found the bodies of a television presenter and her flight attendant boyfriend in a rural area of suburban Sydney on Tuesday, based on information from a police officer charged with murder.
“We are confident we have found Luke and Jesse,” said New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb, adding that the families of the two victims had greeted the news with relief and sadness.
The discovery caps a week of high-profile searches for the remains of Jesse Baird, 26, an entertainment journalist, and Luke Davies, 29, a member of the Qantas cabin crew.
A 28-year-old police officer who was in a relationship with Mr Baird has been charged with two counts of murder.
“This information was obtained with the assistance of the defendant,” Ms Webb said.
Police believe the two men were shot at a home in central Sydney before being stuffed into surfboard bags and transported to a rural property about two hours' drive from the city.
Ballistics tests showed that a projectile found in the apartment was consistent with that of a police firearm. The weapon was later found in a safe at the police station.
Police say the killings were “domestic in nature” and not a “homophobic crime.”
The suspect was a celebrity blogger who was photographed alongside numerous stars, including Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Ben Stiller, before going to the police.
He was already under investigation for allegedly attacking an Aboriginal man with a Taser in 2020 after a video of the incident surfaced online.
According to reports in 2014, he publicly came out as gay by throwing a letter onto the stage at a Lady Gaga concert, which the star read to the audience, which included his sister.