A female detective sergeant has been credited as the hero cop who cracked the case of the alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies.
An exhausted-looking Detective Sergeant Sasha Pinazza broke down in tears as she addressed the media on Tuesday after NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said, ‘I credit much of the case to her.’
Commissioner Webb thanked ‘all the detectives that have worked hard on this investigation tirelessly around the clock’ but singled out the detectives and Pinazza, the Officer in Charge.
Det Sgt Pinazza admitted at the conference that when police stopped the search at nightfall in Bungonia, in the NSW Southern Highlands, on Monday without finding Mr Baird’s and Mr Davies’ remains, they were crestfallen.
Detectives felt ‘deflated’ when they didn’t find the bodies yesterday, but she said she was proud of police efforts on Tuesday.
‘We rallied again this morning and have come across a wonderful result for the families,’ she said.
Det Sgt Sasha Pinazza (pictured at a press conference on Tuesday) is credited with being the hero cop who helped solve the case of the alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies
The two men’s remains have been located 20 minutes from the original search site in Bungonia after their accused killer Beau Lamarre-Condon allegedly disclosed the location
When she answered a reporter’s question and was momentarily flustered when she got the journalist’s name wrong, Det Sgt Pinazza apologised, adding ‘I am exhausted, I’ve barely eaten or slept.’
It is believed Det Sgt Pinazza and another officer, Detective Chief Inspector Glen Browne, were the cops who visited the accused murderer Beau Lamarre-Condon at Silverwater prison at about 11am Tuesday morning.
It was during this meeting that Lamarre-Condon, a former celebrity blogger turned senior constable in the NSW Police, allegedly told them where the bodies were located.
Accused killer Beau Lamarre-Condon has now been suspended without pay from the NSW Police Force and was interviewed at Silverwater jail on Tuesday where he allegedly divulged the location of the two men’s bodies
He had previously refused to assist police in finding the two men’s remains but changed his tune after lawyering up.
Police located the remains three hours later, by about 1pm, and within minutes they had informed the families of Baird and Davies.
Homicide Squad Commander Danny Doherty wouldn’t reveal what state the bodies were in when they were uncovered on Tuesday, but he did say ‘they were covered in debris’.
The bodies were allegedly transported to a location on Jerrara Road, Bungonia, which is 20 minutes from the original search site, in surf bags.
Det Supt Doherty said Lamarre-Condon acted alone.
‘We will allege he acted alone and he is the sole person responsible for putting the bodies of Luke and Jesse at the current location,’ he said.
Lamarre-Condon has been suspended without pay from the NSW police Force and will next appear in court in April.