Niamh Shackleton
Police have issued an update on the case of a man who was decapitated.
In June, former Beauty and the Geek contestant Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser was arrested and charged with the murder of her boyfriend, Julian Story.
Story's body was found dismembered at the apartment he shared with Chesser in Port Lincoln, Australia. While most of his body was at the scene of the crime, his decapitated head was not.
South Australia Police said in a statement at the time (per NDTV): "It was a confronting scene for police and emergency services personnel as Julian's body had been dismembered.
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"Julian's head had been removed during the dismemberment and, despite extensive searches, has not yet been located."
Chesser was arrested on June 19, and on June 27, police were forced to issue a public appeal to help them locate Story's head, which was still missing.
Now, police say in an update that they believe that Story's head has been located.
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A skull believed to be that of Story's was discovered by a dog walker yesterday (July 31), over a month after his death.
Speaking on the recent discovery, Det Supt Darren Fielke said (via The Guardian): "Preliminary investigations and phone calls to the forensic science centre have provided information that the remains are most likely human and I believe they are the remains of Julian Story."
"My understanding is that the person who contacted us today was walking their dog in that area," Fielke added. "The dog ran off into the scrub. The dog didn’t come back when called. The person has gone in to see what’s going on and that’s how those remains were discovered."
Fielke hopes that the apparent discovery of Story's skull will give his grieving family 'some comfort'.
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The skull is being sent to Adelaide for forensic and scientific testing to confirm if the head is Story's or not, which Fielke believes it is.
"If it’s not Julian Story, then clearly we’ve got some other work to do, but I believe that it is," he said.
Story's family is reportedly looking to host a funeral for him sometime next week.
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Chesser remains at James Nash House, a psychiatric facility in Adelaide. It was reported last month that the ex-reality star and model was being held under a mental health detention order and has been denied bail.
She was in court via video link yesterday and is set to reappear in court on December 18.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].