Bizarre images have emerged of a former reality star standing topless on a war memorial, wearing a veil and holding a sharp object just weeks before she was charged with murder.
The woman, 34, was arrested on Thursday after police responded to reports of a small fire at the South Australia home she shared with her partner in Port Lincoln.
But when emergency services arrived, they found the body of a man inside.
The 34-year-old woman was arrested at the scene and later charged with murder. Her identity, and the identity of the dead man, cannot be revealed for legal reasons.
It is understood she had only moved in with the man a few months earlier.
Just a few weeks before the alleged murder, the woman was seen standing topless at the Port Lincoln war memorial while wearing a white wedding dress-style veil.
The eerie footage, broadcast by 7News, showed the woman motionless and silent while holding a sharp, pointed object at Port Lincoln’s Garden of Remembrance.
The weird behaviour was filmed by a passer-by and resurfaced after the tragic incident last week.
The woman was spotted standing on the Port Lincoln war memorial wearing a white veil just weeks before the alleged crime
The former Beauty and the Geek contestant is accused of brutally killing her partner at a unit they shared in Port Lincoln on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula
The dead man’s neighbours said the death had rocked their tight-knit community.
One said he would often see the woman in passing on local streets.
He said she was in a relationship with the alleged victim and had moved into his unit several months ago.
‘She seemed normal, she was good,’ he told 7News. ‘It’s devastating. This doesn’t happen in a small town like Port Lincoln.’
A second neighbour added: ‘It’s just sad.
‘I was on the other side of town [when the fire happened], came back later … it was a shock for me.’
A suppression order preventing the publication of any information that could identify the woman, the victim, or the specific details surrounding the man’s death was imposed by Adelaide Magistrates Court.
South Australia Police have confirmed the alleged victim and the accused were known to each other and had been in a relationship.
Forensic officers were seen searching through a bin at the Flinders Highway home in Port Lincoln
A woman has been charged with murder after the body of her suspected partner was found inside a home in Port Lincoln ,South Australia
Officers and forensics teams continue to gather evidence from within the unit, while police continue searches across town to piece together the woman’s movements prior to the fire.
Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott said on Friday that a cause of death had not yet been determined and no further details could be released as the dead man’s family had not yet been notified.
‘There is a range of things at the scene that need to be worked through,’ he added.
‘It is a very complex scene.’
The woman appeared at Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday but did not apply for bail and has been detained under the Mental Health Act.
She is expected to return to court in December.
The suppression order is set to be reviewed on Friday, but in the meantime, online speculation has seen several other Beauty and The Geek stars wrongly accused.
On Sunday, one former cast member of the defunct reality show hit back at false rumours that she was involved.
Kiera Johnstone, who was crowned winner on the dating show in 2021, posted on social media to clarify she was not the reality TV star who was arrested in South Australia last week
Kiera Johnstone, who won the dating show in 2021, posted a statement on social media to clarify she was not the reality TV star arrested for the alleged murder.
Johnstone, 26, messaged followers on Sunday after false speculation wrongly linked her with the allegations.
‘A former contestant from Beauty and the Geek has been charged with a very serious crime,’ she posted.
‘Although no names have been released, for reasons beyond my understanding, there has been speculation online suggesting that I am involved.
‘Let me be absolutely clear: I am not involved in any way. I have not been charged with a crime.
‘I have literally never even had a parking fine. The allegations being discussed have nothing to do with me, and the fact that I even need to say this is incredibly upsetting.
‘It’s deeply disturbing to see people spreading false information, making assumptions and sharing screenshots.
‘I understand the internet can be quick to judge, but this kind of speculation is damaging and invasive and is something I take very seriously.
Johnstone messaged followers on Sunday, after speculation online linking her to the allegations, and demanded trolls stop the gossip
‘If you are part of the group fuelling this – sharing, gossiping or silently watching – I ask you to please stop.
‘This is not entertainment. This is a serious situation, that involves alleged victims. You’re literally sick if you think this is at all funny.
‘As this has nothing to do with me, this will be the only time I speak on the matter.
‘Thank you to those who reached out with kindness and common sense.’
