Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser, who once appeared on ‘Beauty and the Geek Australia’, is now at the center of a chilling murder investigation
A woman who once appeared on reality television is now facing a serious criminal charge after being accused of murdering her boyfriend.
The incident unfolded on June 17, when emergency responders were called out following reports of a small fire at an apartment located in the seaside city of Port Lincoln in southern Australia.
When authorities reached the apartment, they were met with a gruesome and disturbing scene. Inside, they discovered the burnt and dismembered remains of 39-year-old Julian Story.
Two days after the discovery, Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser was arrested and officially charged with the murder of Julian Story. Chesser, who is known as a model and actress, previously appeared on the reality show Beauty and the Geek Australia. She had finished as the runner-up during the 2010 season of the series.
According to The Telegraph, when police arrived at the scene, Chesser was reportedly found in a state described as ‘catatonic and unresponsive’ while she was in the backyard of the residence. Police have confirmed that Story had been decapitated, and at this time, his head has still not been recovered.
In a statement released on Friday by South Australia Police, and reported by NDTV, officials said: “It was a confronting scene for police and emergency services personnel as Julian’s body had been dismembered. Julian’s head had been removed during the dismemberment and, despite extensive searches, has not yet been located.”
Julian Story’s body was found burnt and dismembered
South Australian Police
Authorities believe that the violent act occurred sometime around midnight on June 17.
Investigators are now reaching out to members of the public, asking them to come forward with any helpful details. They are particularly interested in any footage that may have been recorded by home surveillance cameras or dash cams in the area that night.
“I can only imagine, and I want you to imagine, the grief this news is causing Julian’s family,” Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke.
He continued: “Recovering Julian’s head to return it to his family so they can have a peaceful outcome, have a funeral and lay him to rest is a really important aspect for us.”
At this stage, Fielke noted that investigators have not yet identified a clear motive behind the killing of Story.
Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser has been charged with murder
tamikachesser/Instagram
Chesser appeared in court on Friday via a video call and was denied bail during the session. She had also made an earlier appearance the previous week. According to reports by The Telegraph, she is currently being detained under a mental health detention order.
A committal hearing, where a judge will assess whether there is enough evidence for the case to proceed to a full trial, is scheduled to take place in December.
Chesserβs sister, Kiya-May Chesser, has spoken out and believes that Tamika is suffering from a serious mental health condition known as psychosis.
“Please report how my sister is in a mental psychosis,” she shared with Daily Mail Australia. “This is not her… She would never do these things.”