Former Reality Star Is Accused of Murdering, Dismembering Her Partner. 10 Days Later, Police Are Still Searching for the Man's Head

A former reality TV star has been charged with murder in Australia after her partner was found dismembered, and police said they are still actively searching for the victim’s head.

According to a statement from the South Australia Police, Beauty and the Geek Australia alum Tamika Chesser, 34, has been accused of murder after 39-year-old Julian Story was found dismembered — and without his head — in their apartment in Port Lincoln, South Australia, just before 3:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, June 19.

According to police, authorities were initially called to the apartment after receiving a report about a small fire.

“It was a confronting scene for police and emergency services personnel as Julian’s body had been dismembered,” police wrote. “Julian’s head had been removed during the dismemberment and, despite extensive searches, has not yet been located.”

Police believe Story was killed around midnight on Tuesday, June 17.

Police documents submitted to the court and obtained by Australian broadcaster ABC state that when police officers arrived at the scene, they found “deceased remains which were severely burnt and disfigured.”

A witness told police that “he observed smoke coming from [the apartment], he saw the accused and asked what she was doing, the accused said ‘nothing’ and then took her dogs for a walk and locked the front door,” per the court documents.

“The witness was concerned that smoke or fire would spread … [so he] filled a bucket with water and entered unit 3 through the rear door,” the documents state. “In the bathroom of the unit, he located a bundle of clothing rags and debris, which was smoldering. The witness doused this and repeated this with a second bucket of water.”

When police arrived, “the accused was seated in a garden chair in the rear yard adjacent to unit 3 in a catatonic and unresponsive state,” the documents said, per ABC.

Authorities have released CCTV footage of Chesser to show what she was wearing around the time of Story’s death, and they are now asking the public for help tracking the former reality star’s movements the night of the murder by reviewing home security footage.

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On Friday, June 27, Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke told reporters that Chesser “doesn’t really use a vehicle” and that he hoped the public could help track her movements, according to Sky News.

Fielke added that no motive is currently known, and that Chesser was compliant at the time of her arrest.

“We know that they were in a relationship together … it’s something that’s being explored, that domestic relationship,” he said.

According to ABC, Chesser made a court appearance on June 27 via remote video from a mental health facility, where she is being held under a detention order. She was denied bail by a judge and is next due in court in December.

Chesser appeared in the 2010 season of the Australian franchise of Beauty and the Geek, a reality TV show in which attractive women are paired up with intelligent men to complete a variety of challenges and avoid elimination to win a cash prize. The original American series was hosted by Ashton Kutcher.

Chesser was runner-up on her season of the reality show and has also worked as a model, appearing in magazines such as Playboy, Ralph and FHM.

Detective Fielke told reporters that the most important thing in the investigation at this point is locating Story’s head.

“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,” Fielke said, per CBS News.

“We are navigating an unimaginable loss, and your care has brought comfort amid the chaos,” Story’s family added in a statement. “We are also deeply grateful to our family and friends and this extraordinary community whose kindness and support have helped carry us through.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.