- Isla Bell, 20, went missing almost three weeks ago
- A friend revealed their last conversation with her
- Do you know more? Email charlotte.karp@mailonline.com
A young woman who mysteriously disappeared from Melbourne three weeks ago was excited to tell her best friend about her new boyfriend – before she suddenly stopped answering.
Isla Bell stayed with a relative in Brunswick, near the city’s CBD, on October 4, just days before her 20th birthday. when she left the home around 6 p.m. and was never seen again.
Concerned relatives shared a number of photos of her in an online group and urged anyone who sees her to contact police, especially if she was accompanied by an ‘older man’.
Her best friend has now spoken out about the situation on social media, saying she last spoke to Ms Bell on October 7, three days after she was last seen. During that conversation, Mrs. Bell was eager to talk about a recent night out and a new man she was seeing.
‘She was about to tell me all about her night, the new man she was with, how and where she met him. She abruptly stopped answering before giving me more details,” the anonymous friend said.
“She really wanted to tell me all about it, then radio silence.”
Isla Bell (pictured) was last seen leaving a relative’s home on October 4 at approximately 6 p.m.
Isla Bell (pictured) was about to tell her best friend about the new man she was seeing, but suddenly fell silent
Another friend said Ms Bell struggled with mental health problems and sometimes disappeared for days.
They said: ‘The messages to her friend on the night she disappeared were really sus, a really unreliable audience.’
“The police pinged her and such, but without much immediate results.”
Her family had planned a trip to the Great Barrier Reef for her twentieth birthday. They tried to contact her to book flights, but she never answered.
Her family has created a fundraiser to pay for ‘missing’ posters and to hire a private investigator.
Mrs Bell (pictured left, with a friend unrelated to the story) is described as 160cm tall, with long red hair and facial piercings
Ms Bell’s family tried to plan a trip to the Great Barrier Reef for her 20th birthday, but they were unable to contact her
Earlier this week, the Crime Investigation Unit was assigned to her case.
Her friend Tamara Griffiths wrote in a Facebook post: “If you see anyone matching Isla’s description, especially in the company of an older man, please report it immediately.”
‘Do not approach or intervene, your safety is also important.
“Isla is deeply loved by her family and friends. Every share, every pair of eyes looking out for her, brings us one step closer to bringing her home safely.”
Ms Bell is described as having a slim build, red hair, a pale complexion and nose, lip and eyebrow piercings.
She is known to visit Melbourne CBD, Carlton and Fitzroy.
Do you know more? Email charlotte.karp@mailonline.com