SA court murder trial of Dieter Pfennig told he said Louise Bell’s body ‘is there’ in the Onkaparinga River where he went canoeing

CHILD murderer Dieter Pfennig gestured to a riverbank saying “Louise Bell’s body is in there” during a heated debate about religion and sin, a court has heard.

CONVICTED child murderer Dieter Pfennig gestured to a riverbank saying “Louise Bell’s body is in there” during a heated debate about religion and sin, a court has heard.

On Monday, the first phase of Pfennig’s Supreme Court murder trial concluded with evidence from Mark Furca, who went canoeing with Louise’s alleged killer in the late 1980s.

Mr Furca, 52, said he did not know Pfennig “personally” when they and another man canoed down the Onkaparinga River.

“We were just talking, it was a religious debate of some sort about certain issues including adultery and fornication being sins,” he said.

“Things started getting a bit heated and (the other man) noticed a dead sheep floating at the river’s edge.

“As a bit of a way of breaking the tension he said ‘Dieter, have you ever seen any dead bodies in the river?’ ... Pfennig gestured with his head and said ‘Louise Bell’s body is in there’.”

Louise Bell went missing from her Hackham West bedroom on January 4, 1983.

Pfennig, 67, has pleaded not guilty to having abducted Louise, 10, from her Hackham West home on January 4, 1983 and murdering her sometime before March 1 that year.

Prosecutors have alleged a police re-enactment of the abduction proves Louise would have been taken from her bedroom in just 30 seconds.

Louise’s body has never been found, but her pyjama top was located by a neighbour who also received a phone call from the abductor, claiming the girl was “happy with them”.

Pfennig is already serving a life sentence for the 1989 murder of Michael Black, 10 — prosecutors claim he has said Michael and Louise are buried together.

A former prisoner has claimed Pfennig confessed to the murder while “stoned and sobbing” during an inmate drug and alcohol binge on Christmas Day 2004.

Another prisoner, cultist Stephen Akpata, said Pfennig admitted his guilt both verbally and through a bizarre story — but later adopted a “cocky, self-defending” stance.

Giving evidence on Monday, Mr Furca said he and the other man were surprised by Pfennig’s comment on the river.

“It just came out quickly ... he said ‘Louise Bell’s body is in there’ and (gestured to) an area on the left side of us where there was reeds,” he said.

“We thought it was quite strange ... I didn’t know (Pfennig) personally but it seemed strange to me for him to say something like that.”

Dieter Pfennig. Artwork: Timothy Ide.

At the conclusion of Mr Furca’s evidence, Acting Justice Michael David said the trial would adjourn until January 11, 2016.

That date was set after Pfennig failed in his bid to have the trial adjourned for six months so he could mount a $250,000 challenge to key DNA evidence.

Grant Algie, QC, for Pfennig, told the court he would not be present for any argument on DNA and that his client would instead be represented by Paul Charman on that issue.

“I have given undertakings and assurances that I will play no role in that due to (legal aid) funding matters,” he said.

Acting Justice David ordered the matter be brought back on for short status hearings in November and December, and then resume with evidence in January.