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Reality Star Charged With Murder After Boyfriend’s Headless Body Discovered At Their Home
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Reality Star Charged With Murder After Boyfriend’s Headless Body Discovered At Their Home

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Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser, a former contestant on Beauty and the Geek Australia, has been charged with the murder of her partner in what authorities have described as one of the most gruesome crime scenes they’ve encountered.

Firefighters had initially responded to reports of a minor blaze in the couple’s Port Lincoln apartment on June 17. What they discovered instead was a scene so harrowing it left a permanent mark on their psyche. 

Highlights
  • Former Beauty and the Geek Australia star Tamika Chesser charged with murder after her partner's burnt, decapitated body was found.
  • Julian Story’s head remains missing despite extensive searches, hindering the police’s efforts to provide closure for the family.
  • Chesser remains in custody under mental health detention; committal hearing set for December to decide trial eligibility.

The body of 39-year-old Julian Storyburnt and decapitated.

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    Former reality TV star was charged with murder after her partner was found burnt and decapitated

    Image credits: tamikachesser / Instagram

    South Australia Police confirmed the crime as the horrifying details spread, sending shockwaves across the nation.

    “It was a confronting scene for police and emergency services personnel as Julian’s body had been dismembered,” authorities said in a statement. 

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    “Julian’s head had been removed during the dismemberment and, despite extensive searches, has not yet been located.”

    Image credits: tamikachesser / Instagram

    According to official documents, 34-year-old Tamika Chesser was discovered two days later in a garden chair outside the residence, alive but appearing “catatonic and unresponsive.” She was arrested on the spot.

    Image credits: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube

    Chesser allegedly snapped and became violent as police tried to apprehend her, assaulting an officer in the process. As a result, she’s facing charges of murder, tampering with human remains in an effort to hinder justice, and the aforementioned altercation.

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    The motives behind the attack have yet to be established, as investigators focus on locating the victim’s head

    Image credits: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube

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    Before the shocking incident, Chesser was known not for violence, but for her beauty. A model with aspirations of stardom, her life changed dramatically after she appeared on the second season of Beauty and the Geek Australia in 2010. 

    Image credits: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube

    Cast as one of the show’s “beauties,” she quickly became a fan favorite and finished the season as runner-up. The exposure launched her into the public eye, opening doors to modeling gigs, and magazine spreads.

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    Image credits: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube

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    Almost 15 years after her appearance, the former reality TV star’s image has been irreparably damaged as the investigation into the murder continues.

    Image credits: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube

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    Authorities believe the incident occurred around midnight on June 17. Surveillance footage captured shortly after the estimated time of Story’s passing shows Chesser walking outside with her dogs. Police have since released the footage to the public in hopes it might yield new leads.

    Image credits: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube

    “I’m appealing to local residents to review CCTV or dash cam footage which they may have, which may assist the investigation,” Superintendent Darran Fielke urged.

    For now, the motive remains unclear. Detectives say there is currently “no obvious reason” behind the attack.

    Chesser will remain behind bars until a committal hearing in December

    Image credits: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube

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    Fielke explained that authorities are currently focusing their efforts on locating the victim’s missing head in order to provide his family with much needed dignity and closure.

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    Image credits: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube

    “I can only imagine, and I want you to imagine, the grief this news is causing Julian’s family,” Fielke said in a public appeal.

    “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.”

    Image credits: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube

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    Chesser, on the other hand, remains in custody under a mental health detention order. She has not entered a plea and was denied bail by the Adelaide Magistrates Court.

    Her next court date, a committal hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to proceed to trial, is scheduled for December.

    Image credits: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube

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    In the wake of the arrest, Chesser’s family has spoken out in her defense, claiming the former TV personality was in a severe state of mental decline while at the same time trying to reconcile the image they had in their head of the model and her actions.

    “My sister is in a mental psychosis,” her sister, Kiya-May Chesser, told local media. 

    “This is not her… She would never do these things.”

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    Story’s family released a statement thanking South Australia Police:

    “On behalf of our family, we want to sincerely thank the South Australian Police, emergency services, and first responders for their compassion and professionalism during this devastating time.”

    “Crazy.” The violent nature of the murder shocked netizens around the world.

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    Abel Musa Miño

    Abel Musa Miño

    Author, Entertainment News Writer

    Read more »

    Born in Santiago, Chile, with a background in communication and international relations, I bring a global perspective to entertainment reporting at Bored Panda. I cover celebrity news, Hollywood events, true crime, and viral stories that resonate across cultures. My reporting has been featured on Google News, connecting international audiences to the latest in entertainment. For me, journalism is about bridging local stories with global conversations, arming readers with the knowledge necessary to make up their own minds. Research is at the core of my work. I believe that well-sourced, factual storytelling is essential to building trust and driving meaningful engagement.

    Read less »
    Abel Musa Miño

    Abel Musa Miño

    Author, Entertainment News Writer

    Born in Santiago, Chile, with a background in communication and international relations, I bring a global perspective to entertainment reporting at Bored Panda. I cover celebrity news, Hollywood events, true crime, and viral stories that resonate across cultures. My reporting has been featured on Google News, connecting international audiences to the latest in entertainment. For me, journalism is about bridging local stories with global conversations, arming readers with the knowledge necessary to make up their own minds. Research is at the core of my work. I believe that well-sourced, factual storytelling is essential to building trust and driving meaningful engagement.

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Author, Community member

    Read more »

    Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

    Read less »

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Author, Community member

    Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

    What do you think ?
    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Almost 15 years after her appearance, the former reality TV star’s image has been irreparably damaged as the investigation into the murder continues." Well, I'd say THAT is the fu‍ck‍ing understatement of the year.

    Undercover
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why is everyone instantly believing her insanity defence? Has it something to do with her status and beauty? Wouldn't people more critical if she was an everyday, perhaps even unattractive, woman? And even if she had a mental crisis (and there are a lot of people that suffer one without getting violent) it doesn't automatically exhonorate her crime. Pretty privilege...

    KrazyChiMama
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These tv networks need to start performing psych evaluations on these people before they put them on tv…not everyone can handle fame! For some it causes significant damage to their mental health and are often accompanied by denial that they have a problem therefore they do not seek help. It’s both sad and scary. Imagine how many m u r d e r s could be prevented if everyone had access to proper mental health treatment?!?

    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm pretty sure no one is forcing the people to be on the reality shows. They CHOOSE to participate on the shows because they want to be famous/on TV/etc. The network does not twist their arm. The networks are under no obligation to check the mental health of the people who voluntarily choose to appear on these type of shows. I agree that mental health treatment should be MUCH more accessible and accepted by society, but the TV networks aren't the ones to blame and aren't the ones who should give "psych evaluations" to the people who audition for their shows.

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Almost 15 years after her appearance, the former reality TV star’s image has been irreparably damaged as the investigation into the murder continues." Well, I'd say THAT is the fu‍ck‍ing understatement of the year.

    Undercover
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why is everyone instantly believing her insanity defence? Has it something to do with her status and beauty? Wouldn't people more critical if she was an everyday, perhaps even unattractive, woman? And even if she had a mental crisis (and there are a lot of people that suffer one without getting violent) it doesn't automatically exhonorate her crime. Pretty privilege...

    KrazyChiMama
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These tv networks need to start performing psych evaluations on these people before they put them on tv…not everyone can handle fame! For some it causes significant damage to their mental health and are often accompanied by denial that they have a problem therefore they do not seek help. It’s both sad and scary. Imagine how many m u r d e r s could be prevented if everyone had access to proper mental health treatment?!?

    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm pretty sure no one is forcing the people to be on the reality shows. They CHOOSE to participate on the shows because they want to be famous/on TV/etc. The network does not twist their arm. The networks are under no obligation to check the mental health of the people who voluntarily choose to appear on these type of shows. I agree that mental health treatment should be MUCH more accessible and accepted by society, but the TV networks aren't the ones to blame and aren't the ones who should give "psych evaluations" to the people who audition for their shows.

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