'Grave concerns': Search for TV presenter, Qantas attendant missing
The bloody discovery that sparked police search for TV presenter, Qantas attendant
The discovery of bloodied clothing in a skip bin behind a registered club in Cronulla has sparked a large police investigation into a missing Qantas flight attendant as they search for his partner, a former Ten presenter.
Police hold grave concerns for airline steward Luke Davies after clothing believed to be owned by him and TV presenter Jesse Baird was found by a worker at Club Cronulla, in Sydney’s south, on Wednesday.
Jesse Baird (left) and Luke Davies at a Pink concert in Sydney last week.Credit: Instagram
Credit cards, keys and a mobile phone were also found in the bin, with the staff member reporting the “unusual items” to police, Eastern Suburbs Commander Detective Superintendent Jodi Radmore said on Thursday.
That discovery led police to Baird’s shared house in Paddington, where investigators allegedly found a significant amount of blood and upended furniture.
“We do believe there has been some sort of incident that likely occurred at the Paddington address,” she said.
Neighbours told police that they heard an argument on Monday morning coming from the terrace, which remains a crime scene.
Police have established a crime scene at the Paddington terrace.Credit: Kate Geraghty
“He has not been seen since, his family have been unable to contact him and he has not been at work,” police said in a statement.
Police said they also searched Davies’ house in Waterloo.
Police said the pair were last seen on Monday but declined to answer questions about whether they had been together at the time.
“Their final movements are still under investigation,” Radmore said.
She said police could not yet say if one or both of the men had met with foul play.
“We’re not excluding any lines of inquiry,” she said when asked if it was a potential murder-suicide.
Pictures from both men’s social media accounts show them together at a Pink concert in Sydney last week, on a weekend trip to the Hunter Valley and at the lighthouse at Palm Beach.
“Perfect start to a long weekend,” Davies captioned the lighthouse picture.
Baird worked at Ten from 2018 as a children’s television presenter on Totally Wild and on Studio Ten. His LinkedIn page says he finished at the network in January.
Luke Davies (left) and Jesse Baird.
Both the missing persons registry and the homicide squad are working on the matter. Police are now canvassing CCTV and triangulating phone data to track them down.
Investigators have seized two cars from Paddington and a third from an undisclosed location.
Radmore said that police were focused on the two men but did not say they were the only ones involved in the disappearances.
“Our primary lines of inquiry currently are in regards to the whereabouts of Jesse and Luke. So if anyone knows where they are, please contact us,” she said.
Neither man was previously known to police.
On Thursday afternoon, the downstairs windows to the grey terrace had been opened, and the curtains were gathered to one side while police worked in the front room.
NSW police and forensic officers in the backyard of the Brown Street home.Credit: Kate Geraghty
At the back of the property, police were running a paintbrush over a garage door.
A woman who lives further up the street said the police had asked her for her CCTV footage, initially saying they were looking for a car before ringing back to say they were interested in any people her cameras had caught walking past.
A load of laundry is still drying on clothes horses set up on the upstairs front balcony.
Builder Pete Doughney, who has been renovating a house across the road for the past few weeks, said he was surprised to see police gather in the usually quiet street on Tuesday.
“I just came outside yesterday afternoon, and there were police everywhere. I was wondering what was going on.”
He said there were about 12 to 15 detectives and the same number of uniformed officers outside the house.
“They didn’t have tape up at that stage and then I came back probably an hour later and they’d taped it all off.”
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