A suspected heroin addict has appeared in court charged with the murder of Isla Bell, a Melbourne woman whose body was found in a rubbish tip more than a month after she disappeared.
Marat Ganiev, 53, from St Kilda, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday accused of murdering the 19-year-old.
Dressed in black and looking emaciated, Ganiev appeared visibly ill as the brief introductory hearing took place.
His lawyer, Adrian Lewin, told the court his client desperately needed his methadone medication, a drug used by addicts trying to quit heroin.
The court heard Ganiev needed 70mg of the medication, which he had not received for the past two days.
It is still unknown how or why police allege Ganiev killed the teenager, who was reported missing in October.
A man believed to be a friend of Ganiev is expected to appear in court sometime Wednesday. Eyal Yaffe, 57, of Hampton, faces a charge of assisting a felon in murder.
Ms Bell was last seen leaving her home in Brunswick, Melbourne, around 6pm on October 4, just days before her 20th birthday.
Two men have been charged after police found suspicious human remains in their search for 19-year-old Isla Bell.
Marat Ganiev, 53, from St Kilda, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with Ms Bell’s murder.
His remains were found at a landfill site in Dandenong on Tuesday night and have yet to be formally identified.
Victoria Police are investigating whether Ms Bell’s remains were dumped in a household waste bin before ending up in landfill.
Missing Persons Squad detectives arrested three men after executing search warrants at two properties in Bentleigh East and Mulgrave.
A 63-year-old Mulgrave man has been released pending further investigations.
The Missing Persons Squad formally took over the investigation at the end of October.
Ms. Bell’s family has been notified following the discovery of the information.
Shortly after her disappearance, Bell’s best friend revealed that their last conversation took place on October 7, three days after she was reportedly last seen.
During that conversation, Ms. Bell was willing to talk about a recent night out and a new friend.
Ms Bell was last seen leaving her home in Brunswick, inner-city Melbourne, at around 6pm on October 4.
He was about to tell me all about his night. “He suddenly stopped responding before giving me more details,” the anonymous friend said.
“She was very anxious and excited to tell me all about this, then radio silence.”
Another friend said Ms Bell had struggled with mental health problems and sometimes disappeared for days, but her recent disappearance was out of the ordinary.
“The messages her friend received the night she disappeared were really suspicious and unreliable,” they said.
“The police have been calling her and things like that, but without much immediate success.”
Bell’s mother, Justine Spokes, also shared her concerns online.
“My girl is missing and we miss her very much,” he wrote on Facebook.
‘She leaves an impression, it is difficult to forget. He has a fighting spirit, sometimes strong and sometimes soft, always lasting.
‘We’re here for you, friend. I love you my care bear.’
Spokes later revealed that the family had been planning to visit the Great Barrier Reef for Bell’s 20th birthday and were alarmed when they could not locate her.
‘Hi, friend. We look forward to our trip to the reef for your birthday,” his mother wrote in a public message after his disappearance.
We have been trying to call you to book flights. Let us know your opinion.
‘We love you, darling.’