A suspected heroin addict has appeared in court charged with the murder of Melbourne woman Isla Bell, whose body was found in a rubbish dump more than a month after her disappearance.
Marat Ganiev, 53, from St Kilda, appeared in the Melbourne District Court on Wednesday charged with the 19-year-old’s murder.
Ganiev, dressed in black and looking thin, looked visibly unwell as the brief hearing took place.
His lawyer, Adrian Lewin, told the court his client was in desperate need of his methadone medication, a drug used by addicts trying to get off heroin.
The court heard Ganiev needed 70mg of the medication, which he had not received in the past two days.
It remains unknown how and 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 on Wednesday. Eyal Yaffe, 57, of Hampton, is charged with assisting an offender in murder.
Ms Bell was last seen leaving her home in Brunswick, Melbourne, about 6pm on October 4, just days before her 20th birthday.
Two men have been charged after police found suspected human remains during their search for 19-year-old Isla Bell
Marat Ganiev, 53, from St Kilda appeared in the Melbourne District Court on Wednesday charged with Ms Bell’s murder
Her remains were found at a landfill in Dandenong on Tuesday evening and have yet to be formally identified.
Victoria Police are investigating whether Ms Bell’s remains were placed in a household rubbish bin before ending up in the landfill.
Detectives from the Missing Persons Squad arrested three men after executing search warrants at two properties in Bentleigh East and Mulgrave.
A 63-year-old Mulgrave man was released pending further inquiries.
The Missing Persons Squad formally took over the investigation in late October.
Ms Bell’s family have been informed following the tip-off discovery.
Shortly after her disappearance, Ms Bell’s best friend revealed their last conversation took place on October 7 – three days after she was reportedly last seen.
During that conversation, Mrs. Bell was eager to talk about a recent night out and a new friend.
Ms Bell was last seen leaving her home in Brunswick, inner-city Melbourne, about 6pm on October 4.
‘She was just about to tell me all about her evening. 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.”
Another friend said Ms Bell struggled with mental health problems and would sometimes disappear for days, but her recent disappearance was extraordinary.
“The messages to her friend the night she disappeared were really sussed, a really unreliable audience,” they said.
“The police pinged her and such, but without much immediate results.”
Ms Bell’s mother, Justine Spokes, also shared her concerns online.
“My girl is missing and dearly missed,” she wrote on Facebook.
‘She leaves an impression, she is difficult to forget. She has a fighting spirit, sometimes loud and sometimes soft, always persistent.
“We’re here for you, buddy. I love you, my care bear.”
Mrs Spokes later revealed the family had planned to visit the Great Barrier Reef for Mrs Bell’s 20th birthday and became alarmed when they could not reach her.
“Hey rascal. Looking forward to our reef trip for your birthday coming up,” her mother wrote in a public post after she disappeared.
‘We tried calling you to book flights. Let us know your opinion.
“We love you, my love.”