The Beauty and the Geek Australia alumna, who is facing allegations of having beheaded her boyfriend, has officially entered a plea of not guilty.
Tamika Chesser has contested her murder charge more than a year following her arrest regarding the death of Julian Story, as reported by 7News Australia.
The former reality TV contestant appeared via a video link on August 11, while she remains in detention at James Nash House— a mental health institution where she has been held since her apprehension, according to the news outlet.
Chesser’s legal representative has requested a mental health evaluation to determine her fitness to proceed with the trial, as mentioned by 7 News Australia.
Efforts were made to reach the South Australia court and Chesser’s lawyer for comments but no responses were immediately received.
Chesser, who appeared on the Australia reality series in 2010, was arrested after police were called to her and Story’s home, according to a June 26, 2025, police statement. Authorities discovered his body had been dismembered, his head was missing from the scene and his remains had been burned.
“All murders cause pain and grief for victims’ families and friends,” Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke shared in the statement. “The circumstances of this murder are particularly harrowing, confronting and distressing.”
Police believe Story was killed around midnight on June 17. They released surveillance footage and images of Chesser seen out walking her dogs the week of the murder as they requested help from the public to create a timeline of her movements to try to find Story’s missing head.
A human skull, later identified as Story’s, was found July 31 by a member of the public east of Port Lincoln, ABC reported.
Chesser was pregnant at the time of her arrest and she gave birth at her mental health facility in March. The identity of the father remains unknown, according to 7News.