Search for man's head called off after TV star charged
Authorities have been unable to find the entire remains of Julian Story, 39, after his dismembered body was discovered at Port Lincoln, South Australia, on June 19.
Former Beauty and the Geek reality TV contestant Tamika Sueann Rose Chesser, 34, has been charged with his murder.
Police found "several items of interest" on Wednesday after information received by investigators coupled with the use of specialist equipment identified several additional search sites around Port Lincoln.
However, authorities did not find human remains and on Thursday called off the search to allow Mr Story's family to move on and make funeral arrangements.
"At this point in time, there will be no more searching undertaken in Port Lincoln for the missing remains of Julian," Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke told reporters.
"We have exhausted all the areas of interest that have been made known to us in relation to this investigation."
A T-shirt, drink bottle and wristband were reportedly the "items of interest" discovered on Wednesday about a kilometre from the Flinders Highway property where Mr Story was discovered.
Det Fielke said they were sent for forensic testing.
"It was just a very unusual thing to find in that location."
However, police made the decision to call off the search, with Det Fielke saying Mr Story's family had been "completely understanding" about the decision.
"They are also very keen to lay Julian to rest and have his funeral so they can start to move on," he said.
"We will, however, go back and search if we receive specific information about where Julian's remains might be.
"But in terms of general searching in Port Lincoln, that has now stopped."
Police found Mr Story's body after firefighters were called to the Flinders Highway property at Port Lincoln following reports of a blaze.
Chesser, who police said had been in a relationship with Mr Story for several months, was arrested on June 19 after Mr Story's body was found at the couple's home.
She appeared in court in June via video link from psychiatric facility James Nash House.
Det Fielke said police had not been able to interview Chesser.
Previous searches were paused on July 1 as police reviewed CCTV footage to pinpoint the movements of the ex-reality TV star accused of his murder.
She was known to walk through back streets and parks in the Port Lincoln area with her dogs.
Authorities are appealing for anyone with information or footage that might help the police investigation.
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Courier-Mail
3 days ago
- Courier-Mail
Police call off search for head of Tamika Chesser partner Julian Story
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. South Australian Police have again suspended their search for the missing head of Julian Story, who was allegedly murdered by his former reality TV star girlfriend Tamika Chesser. Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke announced on Thursday that searchers had failed to locate Mr Story's head, more than a month after his body was found at the couple's Port Lincoln unit about midnight on June 17. 'Unfortunately, we have still not been able to locate the missing remains of Julian Story,' he said. Thursday's announcement marks the second suspension of the search for Mr Story's remains. Immediately after the alleged murder, the police scoured a number of parks and reserves around Port Lincoln, Detective Fielke said, and also the foreshore and waterways directly in front of the township. SA Police allege Julian Story was murdered about midnight on June 17. Picture: Supplied Former Beauty and the Geek reality show runner-up Tamika Chesser has been charged with Mr Story's murder. Picture: Supplied After reviewing hours of CCTV footage and exploiting specialist equipment, the police identified new search areas this week, including scrubland around the Happy Valley Cemetery in the town and the Winter Hill Lookout. The police said they had located some 'items of interest' from the cemetery, including a T-shirt with Elvis printed on it, a wristband and a purple drink bottle. 'Those items have all been seized and have been put into forensics for further analysis,' Detective Fielke said. 'At this stage, we don't have the results of that testing yet.' But the detective confirmed that 'general searching' for Mr Story's remains had now ended. 'We've exhausted all the areas of interest that have been made known to us,' Detective Fielke said 'We will however go back and search if we receive specific information about where Julian's remains might be. 'But in terms of general searching in Port Lincoln, that has now stopped.' Detective Fielke said the police had been in contacted with Mr Story's family, and said they were happy with how the police and the community had helped them through the tragic development. Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke said the police had suspended their search for Julian Story's remains in Port Lincoln. Picture: NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe It is expected the family will hold a funeral for Mr Story on August 6. Mr Story's body was found on the afternoon of June 19 following a small fire at the unit and Ms Chesser was arrested in the yard of the home. Mr Story was a Port Lincoln local, while Ms Chesser had only recently moved to the area from Queensland. At an earlier press conference, Detective Fielke said the cause of death is still being investigated and a motive remains unknown. 'We know they were in a relationship together, and I'm not suggesting that is a motive, but it is something that is being explored,' Detective Superintendent Fielke said in an update from June. Police allege Ms Chesser was captured on CCTV walking with a bag, dogs, and dressed in heavy clothing in the hours after Mr Story's death. Tamika Chesser walks past a petrol station in Port Lincoln. The police have reviewed several hours of CCTV footage to try and piece together what happened in the aftermath of the alleged killing. Picture: Supplied Ms Chesser has been charged with murder, destroying human remains, and assaulting a police officer. She is currently on remand at James Nash House, a psychiatric facility. On Thursday, Detective Fielke confirmed police had not yet spoken with Ms Chesser about the alleged murder or Mr Story's remains. 'We're not in a position yet to be able to talk to Tamika,' he said. 'We don't have the opportunity at this point of time to interview her. 'When we do, we will, and we're hopeful that she will be able to help us with some information.' Detective Fielke added he did not believe anybody in the town was 'holding out' information from the police. Ms Chesser starred in the second series of the hit reality TV show Beauty and the Geek in 2010, finishing in second place. She has also worked as a model for a range of brands including Target and appeared in men's magazines including Ralph and FHM, a profile for her on Star Now states. Her Instagram and Facebook social media profiles are filled with racy and glamorous images. Originally published as SA Police call off search for missing head of Julian Story allegedly killed by Tamika Chesser
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Search for man's head called off after TV star charged
A search for a man's decapitated head near a coastal town has been called off despite police finding "items of interest". Authorities have been unable to find the entire remains of Julian Story, 39, after his dismembered body was discovered at Port Lincoln, South Australia, on June 19. Former Beauty and the Geek reality TV contestant Tamika Sueann Rose Chesser, 34, has been charged with his murder. Police found "several items of interest" on Wednesday after information received by investigators coupled with the use of specialist equipment identified several additional search sites around Port Lincoln. However, authorities did not find human remains and on Thursday called off the search to allow Mr Story's family to move on and make funeral arrangements. "At this point in time, there will be no more searching undertaken in Port Lincoln for the missing remains of Julian," Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke told reporters. "We have exhausted all the areas of interest that have been made known to us in relation to this investigation." A T-shirt, drink bottle and wristband were reportedly the "items of interest" discovered on Wednesday about a kilometre from the Flinders Highway property where Mr Story was discovered. Det Fielke said they were sent for forensic testing. "It was just a very unusual thing to find in that location." However, police made the decision to call off the search, with Det Fielke saying Mr Story's family had been "completely understanding" about the decision. "They are also very keen to lay Julian to rest and have his funeral so they can start to move on," he said. "We will, however, go back and search if we receive specific information about where Julian's remains might be. "But in terms of general searching in Port Lincoln, that has now stopped." Police found Mr Story's body after firefighters were called to the Flinders Highway property at Port Lincoln following reports of a blaze. Chesser, who police said had been in a relationship with Mr Story for several months, was arrested on June 19 after Mr Story's body was found at the couple's home. She appeared in court in June via video link from psychiatric facility James Nash House. Det Fielke said police had not been able to interview Chesser. Previous searches were paused on July 1 as police reviewed CCTV footage to pinpoint the movements of the ex-reality TV star accused of his murder. She was known to walk through back streets and parks in the Port Lincoln area with her dogs. Authorities are appealing for anyone with information or footage that might help the police investigation. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Sad update in search for man's head
South Australian Police have again suspended their search for the missing head of Julian Story, who was allegedly murdered by his former reality TV star girlfriend Tamika Chesser. Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke announced on Thursday that searchers had failed to locate Mr Story's head, more than a month after his body was found at the couple's Port Lincoln unit about midnight on June 17. 'Unfortunately, we have still not been able to locate the missing remains of Julian Story,' he said. Thursday's announcement marks the second suspension of the search for Mr Story's remains. Immediately after the alleged murder, the police scoured a number of parks and reserves around Port Lincoln, Detective Fielke said, and also the foreshore and waterways directly in front of the township. SA Police allege Julian Story was murdered about midnight on June 17. Supplied Credit: Supplied Former Beauty and the Geek reality show runner-up Tamika Chesser has been charged with Mr Story's murder. Supplied Credit: Supplied After reviewing hours of CCTV footage and exploiting specialist equipment, the police identified new search areas this week, including scrubland around the Happy Valley Cemetery in the town and the Winter Hill Lookout. The police said they had located some 'items of interest' from the cemetery, including a T-shirt with Elvis printed on it, a wristband and a purple drink bottle. 'Those items have all been seized and have been put into forensics for further analysis,' Detective Fielke said. 'At this stage, we don't have the results of that testing yet.' But the detective confirmed that 'general searching' for Mr Story's remains had now ended. 'We've exhausted all the areas of interest that have been made known to us,' Detective Fielke said 'We will however go back and search if we receive specific information about where Julian's remains might be. 'But in terms of general searching in Port Lincoln, that has now stopped.' Detective Fielke said the police had been in contacted with Mr Story's family, and said they were happy with how the police and the community had helped them through the tragic development. Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke said the police had suspended their search for Julian Story's remains in Port Lincoln. NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe Credit: News Corp Australia It is expected the family will hold a funeral for Mr Story on August 6. Mr Story's body was found on the afternoon of June 19 following a small fire at the unit and Ms Chesser was arrested in the yard of the home. Mr Story was a Port Lincoln local, while Ms Chesser had only recently moved to the area from Queensland. At an earlier press conference, Detective Fielke said the cause of death is still being investigated and a motive remains unknown. 'We know they were in a relationship together, and I'm not suggesting that is a motive, but it is something that is being explored,' Detective Superintendent Fielke said in an update from June. Police allege Ms Chesser was captured on CCTV walking with a bag, dogs, and dressed in heavy clothing in the hours after Mr Story's death. Tamika Chesser walks past a petrol station in Port Lincoln. The police have reviewed several hours of CCTV footage to try and piece together what happened in the aftermath of the alleged killing. Supplied Credit: Supplied Ms Chesser has been charged with murder, destroying human remains, and assaulting a police officer. She is currently on remand at James Nash House, a psychiatric facility. On Thursday, Detective Fielke confirmed police had not yet spoken with Ms Chesser about the alleged murder or Mr Story's remains. 'We're not in a position yet to be able to talk to Tamika,' he said. 'We don't have the opportunity at this point of time to interview her. 'When we do, we will, and we're hopeful that she will be able to help us with some information.' Detective Fielke added he did not believe anybody in the town was 'holding out' information from the police. Ms Chesser starred in the second series of the hit reality TV show Beauty and the Geek in 2010, finishing in second place. She has also worked as a model for a range of brands including Target and appeared in men's magazines including Ralph and FHM, a profile for her on Star Now states. Her Instagram and Facebook social media profiles are filled with racy and glamorous images.
