Jesse Baird

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Jesse Baird
Baird, c. 2019
Born
Jesse A. Baird[1]

(1997-09-04)4 September 1997[2]
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died19 February 2024(2024-02-19) (aged 26)
Paddington, New South Wales, Australia
Body discoveredBungonia, New South Wales, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Other namesJ.B.[3]
Alma materLa Trobe University
Occupations
Years active2017–2024
Television
Partner
  • Luke Davies (2024)
Australian rules football career
Umpiring career
Years League Role Games
2011–2016 NFNL Goal umpire
2017–2019 NEAFL Goal umpire
2020–2023 AFL Goal umpire 62[4]
Career highlights

Jesse A. Baird (4 September 1997 – 19 February 2024) was an Australian television presenter and Australian rules football goal umpire.[5] Baird worked as a presenter and reporter on various Network 10 programs, including Totally Wild, Gamify and Studio 10.[6][7][8] He officiated 62 matches as an Australian Football League umpire, including two finals.[9]

Early life[edit]

Baird grew up in north-east Melbourne.[10] He graduated from Loyola College in 2015,[11] then achieved a Bachelor of Education degree from La Trobe University in 2019, majoring in drama and media.[12] He moved to Brisbane in early 2017 to pursue a television career.[13] He moved to Sydney in 2023 for further producing and umpiring work.[9]

Television career[edit]

Baird worked as a presenter and reporter on various Network 10 programs. In early 2017, he joined the cast of children's television series Totally Wild, remaining as a presenter alongside Stacey Thomson, until the show's final episode on 27 June 2021.[6][14] In 2019, Baird was announced as the host of Gamify, a game show which aired on 10 Peach.[7][15] He was also a red carpet reporter on Studio 10, until the program was cancelled in December 2023.[8]

Umpiring career[edit]

Baird became an Australian rules football goal umpire in 2011 with the Northern Football Netball League, winning the NFNL's Most Improved Senior Umpire award and officiating the Division 1 Grand Final in 2015.[16] Baird moved to Brisbane in 2017 where he joined the NEAFL, umpiring Grand Finals in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, he was named the NEAFL Goal Umpire of the Year.[16][17] In 2020, he joined the Australian Football League (AFL) list. He made his AFL debut officiating a match between Gold Coast and Port Adelaide.[16][17]

Baird won the Brian Pratt Medallion for most promising AFL umpire in 2020 and 2021.[1] His fiftieth game came in round six of the 2023 season.[17] He officiated 62 matches as an AFL umpire, including two finals.[9]

Disappearance and death[edit]

Baird and his partner Luke Davies, aged 29, were last seen on the evening of 18 February 2024.[18] Baird was scheduled to umpire an AFL pre-season practice match between Sydney and Greater Western Sydney on 20 February. However, he did not arrive.[9]

On 21 February, bloodied clothes, a phone, credit cards, keys, and an $8,000 watch belonging to Baird were found in a skip bin in Cronulla.[19][20] Police subsequently attended Baird's home in Paddington where they found upended furniture, a large quantity of blood, and a projectile and casing that allegedly matched a police firearm.[21]

A white Toyota HiAce van was rented from Mascot at 9:30 pm on 19 February.[19] It was seen in Lambton on 22 February before being abandoned in Grays Point.[20] Police alleged that the van was used to transport the bodies of Baird and Davies to an unknown location.[20][22]

On 23 February, New South Wales police officer Senior Constable Beaumont Lamarre-Condon, aged 28 and known as Beau Lamarre,[23] handed himself in to Bondi Police Station and was charged with two counts of murder.[24] Lamarre-Condon and Baird were in a relationship until a few months before the killings;[24] according to the police the relationship did not end well.[25] Police alleged Baird and Davies were killed "between 12:01 am and 5:30 pm" on 19 February.[5][24] Lamarre-Condon was remanded in custody to appear in court in late April.[26]

On 27 February, Baird and Davies' bodies were found on a property in Bungonia, New South Wales, near Goulburn, following information from the accused.[27][28]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Brian Pratt Medallion". AFL Umpires Association. 30 October 2015. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Jesse Baird Obituary". Australian Football League Umpires Association. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Jesse Baird | Totally Wild". 10 play. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Statement on behalf of AFL CEO Andrew Dillon". AFL.com.au. 23 February 2024. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b Roberts, Millie; Stonehouse, Greta; Wakatama, Giselle; Hyland, Jesse (23 February 2024). "NSW police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon faces court over murder charges of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird". ABC News. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  6. ^ a b Knox, David (18 July 2017). "Totally Wild celebrates 25 years on air". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 20 July 2017.
  7. ^ a b Symonds, Kristy; Price, Amy; Taemets, Astrid (22 February 2019). "Baird game for a chance to realise his dream job". QConfidential. The Courier-Mail. p. 25. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  8. ^ a b Turnbull, Tiffanie (23 February 2024). "Jesse Baird: Policeman charged with murder of missing Sydney couple". Yahoo News. BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d "'Deeply saddened': AFL left heartbroken over umpire's tragic death". Fox Sports. 23 February 2024. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  10. ^ Grubb, Ben; Cubby, Ben; Hornery, Andrew; Koziol, Michael (23 February 2024). "Luke and Jesse: Happy young men loving life". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  11. ^ Kelly, Peter (5 December 2019). "Jesse Baird – new goal umpire in QLD". AFLUA. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Jesse Baird". LinkedIn. 8 February 2024. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  13. ^ Borg, Rebecca; Smith, Kaitlyn; Salmon, Pippa (24 February 2024). "Tributes flow from Victorian friends of allegedly murdered former TV presenter Jesse Baird". The Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  14. ^ Knox, David (30 June 2021). ""I know a lot of people have grown up watching Totally Wild"". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  15. ^ Knox, David (21 February 2019). "Airdate: Gamify!". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  16. ^ a b c "Baird named for AFL debut". Northern Football Netball League. 19 March 2020. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  17. ^ a b c "Jesse Baird". AFL Umpires Association. 4 February 2020. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023.
  18. ^ Smith, Alexandra; Rawsthorne, Sally; McSweeney, Jessica; Sibthorpe, Clare; Duffin, Perry (23 February 2024). "Police officer charged with murder of missing Sydney couple". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  19. ^ a b Brewer, Peter; Tindale, Lanie; McGuinness, Anna; Houlahan, Anna (22 February 2024). "Police officer charged with murder of ex-TV host and boyfriend". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  20. ^ a b c Rawsthorne, Sally; Baker, Jordan; McSweeney, Jessica (23 February 2024). "Mysterious texts, a gun, and dumped credit cards: the trail police say was left by alleged double killer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  21. ^ Taouk, Maryanne (23 February 2024). "What is known about the alleged double murder of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird". ABC News. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  22. ^ Smee, Ben (25 February 2024). "Police investigate possession of police handgun allegedly used in murder of Sydney couple". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  23. ^ Lock, Samantha; Bannister, Maeve (23 February 2024). "Cop charged with murder, alleged victims still missing". Australian Associated Press. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  24. ^ a b c McLeod, Catie; Visontay, Elias (23 February 2024). "Sydney police officer Beau Lamarre charged with murder of TV presenter Jesse Baird and his partner Luke Davies". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  25. ^ McLeod, Catie (27 February 2024). "Bodies of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies found at Bungonia four days after serving officer charged with murder". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  26. ^ Duffin, Perry (24 February 2024). "Cop charged with double murder of Sydney couple worked with students". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Two bodies found in search for Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, police say". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 February 2024. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  28. ^ Ritchie, Hannah (27 February 2024). "Jesse Baird: Human remains found in search for missing Sydney couple". BBC News. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
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