Man Accused of Murdering American Beauty Queen Faces Court More Than 7 Years After She Vanished from Their Home By Becca Longmire

A man in Australia accused of killing his former American beauty queen girlfriend has returned to court over seven years after her disappearance.

On Tuesday, Dec. 9, Mark Sheridan Waden, 50 — who is facing charges of murder and interfering with a corpse after Priscilla Brooten, 46, vanished in July 2018 — appeared at the Supreme Court in Brisbane for a pre-trial hearing, according to NewsWire copy, per news.com.au, the Daily Telegraph and The Courier-Mail.

Brooten, from the Brisbane suburb of Bracken Ridge, hasn’t been seen or heard from since her disappearance over seven years ago. Despite her vanishing in July 2018, she wasn’t reported missing until December of that year, per the outlets. Her body has never been found.

Queensland Police Service previously confirmed a man had been charged with murder and misconduct with a corpse by interfering in June 2019, per a news release.

Waden was Brooten’s partner at the time and she was last seen at their Bracken Ridge home, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) previously reported. 

It was revealed in June 2019 that the former couple’s home had been excavated, with cadaver dogs leading police to a small area in the front yard for the dig, the ABC reported at the time.

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Local Detective Senior Sergeant Michael Hogan previously said during a press conference that Brooten had a daughter and mother living in California, and had been described as a friendly, outgoing person, per the outlet.

She also enjoyed yoga and Zumba, as well as being heavily involved in online gaming.

The missing woman’s blue Volkswagen Golf hatchback was previously found abandoned in the Australian suburb of Scarborough on July 6, the year she disappeared, per the ABC.

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Despite a body not being found, a magistrate previously ruled that there was enough circumstantial evidence for Waden to stand trial, the NewsWire copy stated. He is yet to enter a plea and remains on bail. The case is scheduled for a review on Feb. 5, 2026.

A Queensland Supreme Court spokesperson did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. Queensland Police Service was unable to provide further comments due to the matter being before the court.