'Beauty and the Geek' alum Tamika Chesser pleads not guilty to beheading boyfriend

Tamika Chesser, a former contestant on Australia's Beauty and the Geek, has pleaded not guilty to murdering and dismembering her boyfriend Julian Story.

Chesser, 35, entered her plea on Tuesday, August 11, via video link from James Nash House, a mental health facility in South Australia where she has been held since her arrest in June 2025. Her lawyer told the court that they are seeking an assessment of her mental fitness to stand trial.

Prosecutors allege that Chesser killed Story, 39, at their apartment in Port Lincoln in June 2025 before beheading him and burning his remains. She is also accused of destroying human remains to pervert the course of justice. Chesser denies the allegations.

Police discovered Story's dismembered remains at the couple's apartment on June 19, two days after he was believed to have been killed. Officers had responded to a report of a fire at the property and found Chesser in the backyard in what police documents described as a "catatonic and unresponsive state."

Story's head was initially missing, prompting an extensive search. A member of the public later discovered a skull while walking their dog on July 31, 2025, and South Australia Police subsequently confirmed through forensic testing that it belonged to Story.

Chesser appeared on the second season of Beauty and the Geek in Australia in 2010. She was pregnant when she was arrested and reportedly gave birth in March 2026 while being held at James Nash House. The identity of the baby's father has not been publicly disclosed.

Chesser is expected to appear in the South Australian Supreme Court later this year. Before any trial can proceed, her mental fitness to stand trial will be assessed.