Her Boyfriend Murdered Her After She Caught Him Cheating, And Then He Gave Her Makeup And Clothes To His Mistress

On July 5, 2018, Priscilla Booten, a former American beauty queen, went missing from her home in a suburb of Brisbane, Australia, where she lived with her boyfriend, Mark Sheridan Waden.

Weeks before she vanished, she wrote in her diary, "I am thankful I am alive, thankful for what I have." She wasn't reported missing until later that year, in December, and her body has never been found.

On Monday, June 1, Mark pleaded not guilty to murder in connection with Priscilla's disappearance at Brisbane's Supreme Court. According to Andrew Walklate, the crown prosecutor of the case, Mark allegedly killed Priscilla after she discovered that he was cheating on her with multiple other women.

The morning she went missing, Mark had sent a message to someone named Desiree Hatzipapas about sharing a "long kiss." Priscilla was able to access Mark's Facebook account, read his messages to other women, saved copies of the conversations, and blocked the women's accounts.

Mark was a Zumba teacher at the time, and around 6:00 p.m. local time, he reportedly canceled his Zumba class and called Priscilla. The day after Priscilla disappeared, Mark made urgent requests to contractors for a trench to be dug in his front garden.

He then used Priscilla's phone and posed as her in text messages before dumping her car near her ex's house. About a year later, Mark allegedly dug up the trench and left approximately 1,764 pounds of soil at a waste facility in the middle of the night.

Priscilla's ex-boyfriend, Stephen Thompson, was still on good terms with her, and they remained close friends for years. He became concerned when she abruptly stopped contacting him.

Her friends from her gym and fitness community were also worried when she stopped showing up to regular classes. Stephen was the one who reported Priscilla missing, and he spent months trying to find her.

At the time, Priscilla was a United States citizen and was living in Australia illegally. Her visa had expired in 2009, and she was financially dependent on others.

Queensland Police - pictured above is Priscilla

The prosecutor said that Mark lied to others about her disappearance and told friends that she was in hiding from immigration.

Weeks after Priscilla's disappearance, Mark gave Priscilla's clothes, makeup, and phone to Desiree. A year after Priscilla was reported missing, Mark told police that he and Priscilla broke up in June 2018.

They were arguing, and Priscilla refused to leave, so he threatened to call immigration. Apparently, she left within two days.

Furthermore, in December 2018, a strange phone call was made to the U.S. Consulate by a man claiming to be Stephen Thompson. He alleged that Priscilla was being held against her will in Winchester, Maryland, a place that does not exist. Stephen denied ever making the call.

Since July 2018, there has been no sign of bank activity, social media use, or any other trace of Priscilla to indicate that she might still be alive.

As for the trial, the Supreme Court jury found Mark Sheridan Waden guilty of murder after less than a day of deliberation. He will have to serve at least 20 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.

If true crime defines your free time, this is for you: join Chip Chick’s True Crime Tribe