Teacher acquitted of SA woman's murder

A teacher has been found not guilty of the 1991 murder of a young mother who was bashed so severely that no blood was left in her dumped body.

Timo Heikki Pasanen, 43, has pleaded not guilty in the South Australian Supreme Court to murdering Yasmin Sinodinos, 26, between December 14 and 18 in 1991.

He told the jury he had sex with her, but could not recall any other details because it was so long ago.

The jury retired on Friday afternoon and returned a not guilty verdict a few hours later.

Prosecutor Sandi McDonald SC said Mr Pasanen was a university student at the time, while Ms Sindonios was a drug-addicted single mother.

"They existed in different worlds but somehow, tragically, in the hours leading up to her death their paths crossed," she said.

Mr Pasanen's DNA was matched to DNA taken from semen found in the body which was found dumped under garden rubbish on the side of a fire track in Adelaide's northeast.