SA court told lab that found ‘billion to one’ DNA match in Louise Bell murder case identified victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash

THE laboratory that matched Dieter Pfennig to the Louise Bell murder, after 30 years of mystery, also identified the victims of the infamous MH17 plane crash, a court has heard.

Kidnapping and presumed murder of child Louise Bell who went missing from her bedroom at home on Meadow Way, Hackham West on the night of 4th/5th Jan 1983. Missing child Louise Bell.

THE laboratory that matched Dieter Pfennig to the Louise Bell murder, after 30 years of mystery, also identified the victims of the infamous MH17 plane crash, a court has heard.

On Monday, the Supreme Court learned more about the Netherlands Forensic Institute which, prosecutors claim, found the “one billion to one” DNA hit that ties Pfennig to the case.

The court heard the NFI:

IDENTIFIED all but two of the 296 people that died, when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over the Ukraine, by their DNA profiles;

CONSULTS to both the Tribunal for Yugoslavia and the Tribunal for Sierra Leone, at The Hague; and

BOASTS a database of the Dutch population that is so complete, it can be used to match 100-year-old bodies to unsolved missing persons cases.

NFI reporting officer Bart Jan Blankers told the court his section specialised in Low Template DNA analysis — the technique that allegedly matches Pfennig to Louise’s murder.

Louise Bell.

“Low Template DNA analysis is usually considered to be the analysis of very limited amounts of DNA — very small amounts,” he said.

“It also deals with samples of DNA that have degraded over a long period of time.”

Pfennig, 67, has pleaded not guilty to abducting Louise, 10, from her Hackham West home on January 4, 1983, and murdering her at some time before March 1 that year.

He is currently serving a life sentence for the 1989 murder of Michael Black, 10.

Louise’s body has never been found but her pyjama top was located by a neighbour.

Prosecutors have alleged that a sample of DNA taken from the top yielded a “one in one billion” match to Pfennig’s genetic profile when analysed by the NFI.

Pfennig and his legal team are contesting that evidence — if successful, they could set a legal precedent affecting the use of Low Template DNA analysis around the world.

Louise Bell’s discarded pyjama top.

On Monday, Mr Blankers said DNA analysis was but one of many tasks performed by the NFI.

“We deal in illicit drug testing, pathology, toxicology, human DNA, trace evidence and digital evidence,” he said.

“We also work for local governments who have a problem with massage parlours where more is going on than just massage.”

He said staff could identify a person’s “forensic profile” from samples taken from massage parlours and, based on what fluid it came from, determine if a crime had been committed.

The trial, before Acting Justice Michael David, continues.

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