Isla Bell’s ‘soul sister’ breaks her silence following her devastating death – after details emerged about Melbourne woman’s alleged murder
A close friend of Melbourne teenager Isla Bell says her ‘heart screams’ for the 19-year-old after she was allegedly murdered, as she remembers Ms Bell as a ‘beautiful soul sister’.
Ms Bell was last seen leaving her Brunswick home about 6pm on October 4 but allegedly remained in contact with a friend until shortly after midnight on October 7.
Human remains, suspected to be the missing 19-year-old but yet to be formally identified, were discovered at a Dandenong waste management facility on Tuesday morning.
Marat Ganiev, 53, was charged with murdering Ms Bell on October 7 in St Kilda East, while Eyal Yaffe, 57, is accused of assisting an offender after the fact after police raided two properties in Bentleigh East and Mulgrave.
Court documents obtained by Daily Mail Australia revealed that, before her death, Ms Bell had told a friend she was had ‘found the best sugar daddy’ who had ‘lavished her with gifts’.
Friend Pixie Rivalland remembered Ms Bell as her ‘beautiful kindred spirit’ in a powerful post.
‘My heart screams for you,’ Ms Rivalland wrote.
‘I love you so much.’
Isla Bell was allegedly murdered. Her body was found at a Dandenong tip on Tuesday morning
Ms Bell had a ‘vibrant soul’, ‘loving heart’ and an ‘unforgettable spirit’, with Ms Rivalland posting a separate tribute in the Facebook group Help us find Isla Bell.
‘This world was so lucky to be graced by your presence,’ Ms Rivalland wrote.
‘I feel as though a piece of my soul is gone. Isla was kind, gentle, loving, intelligent, & ambitious.’Ms Rivalland continued, writing that Ms Bell had ‘hopes & dreams’ and ‘so many things to do, places to go, & people to see’.
‘Isla loved nature & animals, she loved exploring & making memories, she loved being an aunty, she loved her family, & she loved this world – despite its cruelty,’ Ms Rivalland said.
‘Isla fiercely loved & protected everyone close to her. She would move mountains for her loved ones.’
She wrote that Ms Bell’s ‘strength & kindness were one of a kind’, and she deserved to celebrate her 20th birthday with friends and family.
‘We want Isla to be remembered for the woman she was, not for what happened to her,’ she wrote.
‘I love you forever.’
Ms Bell has been remembered as a ‘kind, gentle, loving, intelligent & ambitious’ woman by her ‘soul sister’
According to a summary of the police case released by the court, Ms Bell was allegedly caught on CCTV entering Mr Ganiev’s St Kilda apartment about 9.30pm on October 5 and was not seen leaving.
Police allege that about 12.43am on October 7, the footage captured a fight through a gap in a kitchen window, with Ms Bell seen falling to the ground.
‘Investigators observed what appears to be Bell’s head whipping around as if she has been struck,’ the brief states.
It’s alleged the CCTV footage shows Mr Ganiev cleaning thoroughly over the next few days before Mr Yaffe arrived with a black fridge on October 9.
The fridge allegedly remained in Mr Ganiev’s apartment for eight days before Mr Yaffe assisted him to remove it wrapped in plastic on October 17.
It was allegedly moved to various locations around Melbourne before a man found the fridge and opened it.
The brief alleges a bag fell out and the man threw it into a rubbish bin, believing it was animal remains.
According to the summary, Mr Ganiev allegedly claimed he did not kill Ms Bell but used the fridge to transport her remains after she died at his place.
It is alleged that during his interview that he told police he did not have sex with her nor buy her gifts.
The summary alleges Mr Yaffe told police he helped deliver a new fridge to Mr Ganiev and assisted him to dump the old one 300m from his home on a kerbside pick-up without knowing the contents.
During his brief court appearance, Mr Ganiev was slumped over and rubbing his face as his lawyer Adrian Lewin noted that his client was prescribed methadone and had not received a dose in two days.
Mr Yaffe, the court was told, had intended to apply for bail but would instead seek to be freed at a hearing on Friday.
He was brought into court on Wednesday afternoon, smiling and nodding at family members as lawyer Ian Hill KC requested Mr Yaffe be seen by a nurse for a bad back.
