Beauty queen's accused killer allegedly told friends immigration took her

Mark Sheridan Waden faces trial over alleged murderer of US beauty queen Priscilla Brooten Mon 1 Jun 2026 at 4:18pm In short: The murder trial of Mark Sheridan Waden, who is accused of killing his then-partner Priscilla Brooten, has heard allegations that he dug up an anticipated grave site and claimed Ms Brooten had been taken by immigration officials. Mr Waden's defence team argue there is no forensic evidence that links him to the crime. What's next? The trial continues on Tuesday. The murder trial of Mark Sheridan Waden has heard allegations he killed his then-partner Priscilla Brooten during an argument almost eight years ago, after the American former beauty queen learned he was having an affair with a work colleague. Mr Waden is accused of murdering the 46-year-old on July 5, 2018, before disposing of her body, which has never been found, potentially at Brisbane's Nudgee dump. At the murder trial, which began in Brisbane on Monday, crown prosecutor Andrew Walklate told the jury Mr Waden had gone to great lengths to cover up the alleged crime. He alleged those measures included digging up an anticipated grave site at his Bracken Ridge property, lying to friends and family that Ms Brooten had been taken by immigration officials as she was in the country illegally, and staging a phone call to the US consulate to lead investigators astray. During the crown's opening address, the court heard Ms Brooten and Mr Waden had met through Zumba and were in a struggling de facto relationship when the accused struck up a new romance with a young woman from his work. The court heard allegations Ms Brooten had signed into Mr Waden's Facebook account the day before she was murdered, and found messages between the pair, before having a "huge argument" with her partner. The crown's case is that some time during or after the fight, the 46-year-old was killed. Calls made for 'urgent' job The crown told the court that the morning after the alleged murder, Mr Waden began making requests to various contracting companies to assist with an "urgent" job, where he said he needed a trench to be dug beside his driveway, and for a retaining wall to be filled in. He allegedly told contractors he could not wait two weeks, or even days, and eventually hired someone via Airtasker to complete the job the same day. The crown told the jury it would present evidence that the trench was dug up in anticipation of Mr Waden using it as a grave site, and a spot to get rid of items used in the murder. The court heard he then used Ms Brooten's phone and posed as her in texts, before dumping the car she had been driving near her ex-partner's home, disposing of her body and phone sim card, and giving the mobile and some of Ms Brooten's makeup and clothes to his new girlfriend. That phone was later seized by police in 2019. Mr Walklate said the accused attempted to commit suicide after learning of this. Soon after, it is alleged he returned to his Brisbane property, dug up over 800 kilograms of soil, and potentially Ms Brooten's body, which he dumped at the Nudgee dump on two occasions. Defence argues no forensic evidence Mr Waden's defence team argued their client was not guilty, and despite extensive examinations and investigation by police, no forensic evidence that linked him to the alleged murder had been found. There was "not a single piece of evidence that suggested the area excavated was used as a grave site," the court heard. It was put to the jury that Ms Brooten may have taken her own life or disappeared for other reasons. The trial is expected to go for a week and a half and will hear from a number of witnesses including police, Ms Brooten's ex-partner and her psychologist, Mr Waden's then-mistress, and a number of people who the accused spoke with and messaged after the alleged murder. One is expected to tell the court Mr Waden told them his partner "was an illegal" who had gone into hiding and "no-one will ever find her". The trial's also set to see notes from Ms Brooten's journal, phone tower records and texts, as well as photos of the trailer and wheelie bin that may have transported her body. The trial continues on Tuesday.