Accused killer Beau Lamarre-Condon twice urged a friend to watch the erotic thriller Saltburn, saying he could imagine himself “playing the lead role of the nerd” just three days before he allegedly killed two people.
The messages, released by the NSW Supreme Court this week, were exchanged between Lamarre-Condon and a senior constable friend identified in court by the pseudonym Fiona Rosso.
Ms Rosso told the court earlier this week that she met Lamarre-Condon at work in 2022. The pair became friends and regularly discussed relationships, travel and their plans for the future.
Throughout much of 2023 and into early 2024, Lamarre-Condon messaged and called her about his troubled on-and-off relationship with boyfriend Jesse Baird. He also sought her advice about how to handle various situations.
At 9.18pm on February 15, he told her to “watch the movie salt burn”. The film follows a man, played by Barry Keoghan, who becomes dangerously obsessed with Jacob Elordi’s character before killing his entire family.
Lamarre-Condon wrote: “I see myself playing the lead role of [Keoghan’s character] the nerd. It’s a mind f**k.”
At 11.03am the next day, he sent a second message through the encrypted app Signal, writing: “Hey watch the movie salt burn.”
Three days later, on February 19, he allegedly fatally shot Baird and Baird’s new partner, Luke Davies. Crown prosecutors allege the killings were driven by a romantic obsession.
Beau Lamarre-Condon (pictured on a private jet in Greece) allegedly killed his ex-boyfriend Jesse Baird and Baird’s new partner Luke Davies
Barry Keoghan is pictured in the film, Saltburn. Lamarre-Condon told a friend he could imagine himself playing the character
Pictured: A mock-up of a text message Beau Lamarre-Condon sent to a friend urging her to watch the film Saltburn
Lamarre-Condon did not explain why he wanted Ms Rosso to see the film or why he identified with Keoghan’s character.
Ms Rosso did not respond to the recommendation.
Around five hours before the alleged murders, Lamarre-Condon texted Ms Rosso to say he had deactivated his social media accounts.
At 4.49am, he wrote: “I’ll try call you tonight and update you X.”
“Don’t worry about me though X.”
Ms Rosso responded shortly afterwards: “ Ok good! Once I have my sleeping pills I get really doey- it’s like i’m half asleep and dreaming But this is great.
“What sign was it? What did the universe say? Yay or nay?”
Lamarre-Condon replied: “No there is no sign I’m doing it.”
Pictured: A mock-up of a Signal message Beau Lamarre-Condon sent to a friend urging her to watch the film Saltburn
Pictured: A mock-up of texts between Beau Lamarre-Condon and Fiona Rosso just hours before he allegedly killed two people
Pictured: A mock-up of a text Beau Lamarre-Condon sent to a friend, just hours before he allegedly killed two people
KEEP READING: Why Republicans Are Uneasy About Lindsey Graham’s Sister
Ms Rosso said: ‘We [definitely] calling tonight.’
At 5.01am, he wrote: ‘Also I’ve just gotten rid of all social media for now.’
After midday, Lamarre-Condon tried to call her five times from a burner phone, but she didn’t answer.
The previous night, on February 18, he wrote: ‘If I don’t get to talk to you again I just want to let you know I love you so much and I value our friendship more than you’ll know.
‘Thank you for accepting me I love you so much xx.’
Ms Rosso told the court earlier this week, through tears, that she couldn’t remember the context of the texts.
‘I don’t remember,’ she said, repeatedly. ‘I can’t recall.’
When Crown prosecutors asked whether she was making genuine attempts to recall the conversations, Ms Rosso assured the court that she was trying and genuinely couldn’t remember.
Luke Davies and Jesse Baird (pictured) were allegedly killed by Beau Lamarre-Condon on February 19, 2024
Pictured: The van Beau Lamarre-Condon used to transport the bodies. He then allegedly went to his friend Fiona Rosso’s house to clean the blood out of the boot
She also told the court that she was battling a range of mental health issues at the time as a result of her former career as a police officer, and that she had been abusing alcohol.
On the night in question, she finished two bottles of champagne herself.
Two days later, on February 22, Lamarre-Condon went to Ms Rosso’s house and allegedly told her: “I’ve done something bad, I don’t want to tell you, I don’t want to incriminate you.’
Ms Rosso told the court that Lamarre-Condon drove to her house in a white van, and she followed him outside when he went to clean the car.
‘I walked out there with my drink and sat on the gutter and he scrubbed and I sat there in the gutter,’ she told the court.
‘He saw a bit of blood to scrub off and he couldn’t get it off so he said he’d have to paint it.’
In court, Ms Rosso was so upset that she struggled to get through her evidence.
She told the court that she feared he might ‘kill me too’.
The jury was later told that, while Ms Rosso felt as though she was in danger, there was no evidence to suggest Lamarre-Condon wanted to harm her.
Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of domestic violence-related murder and one count of break and enter.
The double murder trial continues.