Slain teen’s family heartbroken after murder charges dropped

If someone you love is killed, you expect justice.

That’s what Isla Bell’s family believed after the 19-year-old’s body was found hidden inside a refrigerator and dumped at a Melbourne waste facility.

Instead, they say they’ve been monstrously failed by a justice system they believe is more concerned with protecting its own reputation than advocating for victims and their families.

Isla disappeared in October 2024, just 18 days before her 20th birthday.

Six weeks later, her body was discovered at the Dandenong Waste Management Facility in Melbourne’s east.

Her mother, Justine Spokes, struggles to talk about that day.

“It was just the most deeply traumatising thing for a mother to go through,” she told A Current Affair through tears.

Nearly two years after Isla’s death, her family still struggle to speak about the young woman they lost.

“She was a ray of sunshine.”

“She had such a deep reverence for all life and would never, ever harm anyone or anything.”

Police believed they had their case

Victoria Police arrested two men over Isla’s death.

Marat Ganiev, 53, was originally charged with murder.

Eyal Yaffe, 57, was accused of helping dispose of Isla’s body.

Isla’s grandfather, David Spokes, said the family believed investigators were building a strong case.

“We had a lot of confidence that they were leaving no stone unturned,” he said.

Court documents alleged Isla entered Ganiev’s apartment in St Kilda and never left.

Police say they had evidence alleging Ganiev spent the next two days cleaning his apartment before Yaffe arrived with a trailer carrying a refrigerator.

Investigators alleged the pair later transported another refrigerator wrapped in plastic to a number of locations across Melbourne before dumping it on the side of the road at a hard rubbish collection.

Isla’s body was ultimately found at the waste facility.

Charges dramatically changed

As the case moved towards trial, it quickly snowballed.

The murder charge against Ganiev was downgraded to manslaughter.

Then, just one week before trial, prosecutors withdrew the manslaughter charge entirely, replacing it with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

On the same day, Yaffe, who was released on bail, had all charges against him discontinued, which meant he was a free man.

Ganiev is now seeking to have the remaining charge thrown out, arguing the late change to the indictment amounted to an abuse of process.

For Isla’s family, the unanswered questions remain impossible to reconcile.

“There are a lot of things about this case that I don’t understand, one thing I do know is that Isla did not wrap herself in plastic and put herself inside that fridge,” said David.

Isla’s mother believes a late change in the prosecution team derailed the case, accusing the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions (OPP) of numerous failures and a lack of empathy towards her family.

“Isla has no voice,” Justine said.

“The community actually believes that the OPP is defending us, and it’s like no, they’re defending the crown, and they’re defending an easy win,” she said.

Victorian shadow attorney-general James Newbury believes the current system is failing families.

“There are questions being asked in this case as to whether decisions are being made around convenience and cost,” he said.

Why prosecutors say they withdrew the charges

OPP told A Current Affair the decision followed an extensive review of the evidence and was based solely on whether prosecutors could prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

“We recognised how difficult this process has been for Isla Bell’s family and that the outcome is not what they hoped for,” an OPP spokesperson said in a statement.

“Because medical experts could not conclusively establish Isla’s cause of death, prosecutors said they could not prove that essential element.

“Without being able to prove how Isla died, it is not possible to ascribe responsibility to any person.”

David described it as “mystifying”, adding: “The community expectation is: let the jury decide.”

Justine agreed.

“We were basically told reasonable doubt means a hundred per cent certainty, that’s not what the community thinks,” said Justine.

Calls for reform

The case has prompted renewed calls for changes to Victoria’s justice system.

Newbury says families should have a greater voice before serious charges are downgraded or withdrawn.

“I think most Australians are watching on asking, ‘how could this have happened?’,” he said.

“How can we have lost a young 19-year-old girl and no-one is being held to account?”

Isla’s family wants prosecutors to publicly explain decisions to withdraw or downgrade major charges.

They are also calling for dedicated legal advocates whose sole role is to represent victims’ families throughout criminal proceedings.

“Victims should have equal access to the legal system,” Justine said.

“We don’t have any access because the OPP is not advocating for victims.

“I would just love it if all these ministers could just open their hearts, give an honest opinion, have some integrity and lead us out of this.”

A line in the sand

Newbury believes it reflects broader concerns about violence against women and whether families are given meaningful access to justice.

“Isla’s story is a line in the sand,” he said.

“It has to move forward.”

Justine has established Isla Bell’s Legacy in honour of her daughter.

More information can be found at islabell.com.au

Full statement from Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions

We recognise how difficult this process has been for Isla Bell’s family and that the outcome is not what they hoped for. Isla’s family members have been supported and kept informed by dedicated staff throughout the proceeding.

A case can only be put to a jury where there is sufficient evidence to make out the charges alleged and meet the legal test of having reasonable prospects of conviction. The issue of causation is an essential element of both murder and manslaughter, and, for both charges, the prosecution must be able to prove that a person’s conduct caused the death.

In this case the medical evidence does not provide a conclusive cause of death. Without being able to prove how Isla died, it is not possible to ascribe responsibility to any person.

After extensive assessment and a rigorous, multi-level review at the most senior levels, it was concluded that the available evidence could not support charges related to causing Isla’s death.

Full statement from Victorian government

Our deepest sympathies remain with Isla Bell’s family and loved ones as they continue to grieve this devastating loss.

While we cannot comment on individual matters, we are listening to victim-survivors, families, and the community about ways to make our justice system stronger.

We are continuing to reform our justice system to put victim-survivors at the centre by expanding protections in court, improving how evidence is given and ensuring sensitive personal information is protected.