Tamika Chesser pleads not guilty in South Australia murder case

Tamika Chesser, a former contestant on the reality television program Beauty and the Geek, appeared via video link from a secure mental health facility in Adelaide to plead not guilty to murder and destroying human remains.

Chesser is accused of murdering her partner, Julian Story, in Port Lincoln, South Australia, in June 2025. Prosecutors and defense counsel have requested a psychiatric assessment to determine if Chesser is mentally fit to stand trial. A private medical report previously suggested she was provisionally mentally incompetent to commit the alleged offences.

The investigation began after firefighters responded to a blaze at the couple's property. Police later discovered Mr. Story's dismembered remains, and his skull was recovered by a resident in nearby scrub. Chesser has been detained at James Nash House under a mental health detention order.