A former Australian reality television competitor has made her first official court plea in a high-profile case that has shocked local communities, entering a not guilty plea to charges of murdering and beheading her former partner.
Thirty-four-year-old Tamika Chesser, who previously appeared on the matchmaking series *Beauty and the Geek*, is accused of killing 39-year-old Julian Story in Port Lincoln, South Australia, back in June 2025. Prosecutors claim that following the alleged killing, Chesser beheaded Story and burned the rest of his remains. The gruesome discovery of Story’s severed head was made just one month later, in July 2025, when a dog walker and their beagle named Benji stumbled across the remains in a public area.
Chesser appeared before Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday via a video link from James Nash House, a secure mental health facility in South Australia where she has been held since her arrest. Court observers noted she wore full makeup and a standard issue prison shirt when responding to the charges of murder and destroying human remains to pervert the course of justice, clearly stating “Not guilty” to both counts.
What makes the case even more unusual is that Chesser was pregnant at the time of her arrest last year. She gave birth to her child while in custody at the Oakden mental health facility, located roughly 10 kilometers north of central Adelaide, in March 2025.
With not guilty pleas now on the record, Chesser is scheduled to stand trial on the two serious charges, but proceedings will not move forward until a formal assessment of her mental state is completed. Her legal team confirmed to the court they are requesting a Part 8A investigation, a process outlined in South Australian law that is designed to determine whether an accused person is mentally fit to stand trial.
Magistrate John Cover ordered that Chesser remain in custody at the secure mental health facility, scheduling the next hearing for November at the South Australian Supreme Court. The investigation into the killing and the assessment of Chesser’s mental fitness are expected to be completed in advance of that court date.