Two men charged over alleged murder of missing woman Isla Bell
Two men have been charged over the alleged murder of missing Brunswick woman Isla Bell, following the discovery of human remains in Melbourne’s south-east.
Bell, 19, was last seen leaving her home in Melbourne’s north about 6pm on October 4. Her family and friends used social media sites and a poster campaign to raise awareness of her disappearance and plead for her safe return.
Brunswick woman Isla Bell.
Police on Tuesday evening found what they believed to be her remains in Dandenong. They are yet to formally identify her.
Missing persons squad detectives raided two properties in Bentleigh East and Mulgrave on Tuesday.
A 53-year-old St Kilda man has been charged with Bell’s murder.
A 57-year-old man from Hampton has been charged with assisting an offender with murder, while a 63-year-old man from Hampton was released pending further inquiries.
The two men are expected to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Bell’s family has been notified and police are supporting them.
The family championed the search effort for Bell, setting up social media pages, blanketing Melbourne’s inner-north with posters, and continuously pleading with the public to help find her over the last six weeks.
About a fortnight after Bell went missing, her mother Justine told reporters her heart ached for her daughter, whose disappearance was out of character.
Isla’s mother, Justine, pleading for her daughter to return home in October.Credit: Justin McManus
“Isla, you’re deeply, widely loved by so many people, and your family and friends are just so distressed, darling. [We] just can’t wait to hold you up. We love you so much. We just want to know you’re safe, darling,” Justine said on October 22.
“We were planning a reef trip for her birthday. She was really excited about that. We were looking forward to spending time together with her family up north.
Loading
“It’s her [20th] birthday today.”
At the time, police did not believe Bell’s disappearance was suspicious.
When asked if police were slow to respond, given their first public appeal was weeks after Bell went missing, Detective Acting Sergeant Dion Martin said: “Isla was reported missing on the 10th of October. The investigation was commenced immediately.”
The missing persons squad formally took over the investigation in late October.
On Sunday, Bell’s family marked 44 days since she went missing, saying there was no activity from her bank account or social media, and her phone had not pinged to any towers.
She last made contact with friends via social media on October 7, her loved ones said.
“It’s hard not to think the worst given the situation and the concerning circumstances in which she disappeared,” they said.
Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here.
Loading
