A jury has been tasked to determine if Brisbane Zumba instructor Mark Waden murdered former American beauty queen Priscilla Brooten. A mysterious caller tried to convince the US consulate that murder accused Mark Waden's missing partner had escaped to America – but their story quickly unravelled.
Mr Waden pleaded not guilty before the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday to the murder of former American beauty queen Priscilla Brooten. In July 2018, Ms Brooten vanished from the North Brisbane home she once shared with Mr Waden. No one has seen or heard from her since, and her body has never been found.
Consulate Call
At Thursday's trial, the court heard from a former US consulate employee who worked in the Sydney office around the time of Ms Brooten's disappearance. Lura Rudisill testified she received a call to her direct line from a person calling themselves Steve Thompson – the name of Ms Brooten's ex-partner. She said the caller spoke with an Australian accent in a “very calm” tone.
“It was the week of December 3, 2018,” Ms Rudisill said. “He said that he was calling because his partner, or ex-partner, who was a US citizen had contacted him after running off with some other man to the United States and he thought she was being held against her will,” Ms Rudisill told the court.
In his opening statement, Crown prosecutor Andrew Walklate argued it was Mr Waden, not Mr Thompson, who called the consulate in December; however, Ms Rudisill said she did not note the phone number or any other identifying features of her mysterious caller. She told the court the man was adamant Ms Brooten was in Winchester, Maryland; however, Ms Rudisill explained she was not aware such a place existed. She said she advised the man that she was unable to assist with issues inside the US but would refer him to the correct authorities.
Prosecutor Andrew Walklate alleges Mr Waden called the US consulate pretending to be Ms Brooten's ex-partner. The consulate employee was unable to confirm the true identity of the man she spoke with. Directly following the call, Ms Rudisill discovered Ms Brooten had recently renewed her passport from inside the US only months earlier, leading her to believe Ms Brooten was indeed back in her home country. However, further investigations with Ms Brooten's mother, a US citizen, revealed she had filed the paperwork on behalf of her daughter, making it appear as if Ms Brooten was in America when she was actually still living in Australia.
Ms Rudisill told the court she thought the phone call was “strange”, a week later advising police of the interaction when they contacted the consulate regarding Ms Brooten's missing persons case. “I would expect to only get a call on my direct line from someone either within the embassy or consulates within Australia or the wider state department or someone who was a previous contact of mine,” she said.
Broken Relationships
Ms Brooten's adult daughter Caitlin Williams appeared via video link from the US on Thursday, speaking before the court. Ms Williams gave evidence she had not physically seen her mother since she was 11 years old but had remained in varied contact with her on social media throughout the years. The court was previously told Ms Brooten arrived in Australia in the early 2000s and had been living in the country illegally since about 2009.
Ms Williams explained the relationship was “complicated”, with the pair “working on it” until Ms Brooten cut all contact around the end of 2017. Ms Brooten left the United States for Australia in the early 2000s but stayed in contact with her daughter Caitlin Williams over social media. “We talked like we were kind of best friends … I would say we had a good relationship when we were talking,” she said.
She said Ms Brooten had ignored messages about Ms Williams' pregnancy announcement, pleas for help surrounding a period of homelessness, and a message regarding the poor health of Ms Brooten's mother. Ms Williams told the court Ms Brooten frequently discussed her relationship with previous partners but never spoke about Mr Waden. “The one with Mark she seemed to be very distant,” Ms Williams said. “She didn't really tell me much about him like she would normally do. The only thing she would mention is that she got some type of edibles from him.”
Ms Williams said Ms Brooten was a “social butterfly” who “loved her life” in Australia, particularly her Zumba dance classes and close friends. “She told me there were a lot of bad memories in the States,” Ms Williams said. “She was really adamant about starting a new life in Australia.” Ms Brooten had ignored important messages from her daughter in the US and cut all contact with her US family in 2017, according to her daughter. She said her mother was “extremely materialistic” with an interest in expensive brands. “She would not let go of (her belongings) unless it is from a thrift store or something,” she said.
Previously, Mr Walklate told the jury they would hear evidence Mr Waden gifted his new girlfriend items belonging to Ms Brooten, including makeup and clothes, that were left at the home. In evidence heard on Wednesday, Mr Waden told police Ms Brooten had taken all her belongings with her, but Mr Walklate said the jury would hear evidence Ms Brooten's belongings remained at the home.
Ex-Lover's Concern
On Thursday afternoon, the court heard from Ms Brooten's former partner, turned friend, Steve Thompson. Mr Thompson told the court the pair had met online and began dating several years later, almost immediately moving in together upon meeting in person for the first time. He said he financed Ms Brooten's life, spending nearly $70,000 on Ms Brooten during their relationship and after their break up in 2017.
WhatsApp messages between the former lovers discussing Ms Brooten's mental health troubles were read to the court; in the messages Mr Thompson offered his financial and emotional support, encouraging her to continue therapy. A text message thread from July 6, 2018, the day after the Crown alleged Ms Brooten was killed, was also read to the jury. Mr Thompson told the court it was highly unusual for Ms Brooten to text him via SMS but conceded the messages sounded similar to the ones sent on WhatsApp. He denied ever calling the US consulate in Sydney. The trial will continue on Friday.
