Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser, a 34-year-old former participant in the Australian reality TV show “Beauty and the Geek Australia,” is facing murder charges. The charges were filed following the discovery of her 39-year-old boyfriend, Julian Story’s, mutilated and burned body in an apartment in Port Lincoln. The police found the body on June 17 after responding to reports of a minor fire in the apartment.
Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke confirmed that the victim’s head was missing, a detail that has further distressed Story’s family. The motive behind the gruesome killing is still unknown. Fielke stressed the significance of finding the missing head to provide closure for the family and allow them to properly mourn their loved one.
Chesser is also accused of disposing of human remains and assaulting a police officer. The police have shared surveillance footage and images of a woman, believed to be Chesser, dressed in black and walking three dogs in the southern Australian city. The footage was taken just hours after the alleged murder, which is thought to have taken place around midnight on June 17.
Fielke has asked local residents to check any CCTV or dashcam footage they may have that could aid in the investigation. According to court documents, Chesser was found in the backyard of the crime scene in a state described as “catatonic and unresponsive.”
Chesser’s sister, Kiya-May, has defended her, stating that the accused has endured a life of trauma and abuse that has impacted her mental health. She asserted that her sister would never commit such a crime. Chesser, who was initially denied bail, is currently detained under a mental health detention order. She is scheduled to appear in court for a committal hearing in December.