‘A piece of my soul is gone’: Isla Bell’s friend remembers her as a ‘beautiful soul sister’

A friend of a missing teenager who was allegedly murdered has remembered her as a “beautiful soul sister” with an “unforgettable spirit”.

A friend of Melbourne teenager Isla Bell says her “heart screams” for Ms Bell after she was allegedly murdered, remembering her as a “beautiful soul sister”.

Ms Bell, 19, was last seen leaving her Brunswick home about 6pm on October 4 but allegedly remained in contact with a friend until shortly after midnight on October 7.

Human remains, suspected to be the missing 19-year-old but yet to be formally identified, were discovered at a Dandenong waste management facility on Tuesday morning.

Marat Ganiev, 53, is accused of murdering Ms Bell on October 7 in St Kilda East, while Eyal Yaffe, 57, has been charged with assisting an offender after the fact after police raided two properties in Bentleigh East and Mulgrave.

Isla Bell was allegedly murdered. Picture: Supplied

The 19-year-old had been missing more than a month. Picture: Supplied

Friend Pixie Rivalland has remembered Ms Bell as her “beautiful kindred spirit”.

“My heart screams for you,” Ms Rivalland wrote in a Facebook post.

“I love you so much.”

Ms Bell had a “vibrant soul”, “loving heart” and an “unforgettable spirit”, with Ms Rivalland posting another tribute in the Facebook group Help us find Isla Bell.

“This world was so lucky to be graced by your presence,” Ms Rivalland wrote.

“I feel as though a piece of my soul is gone. Isla was kind, gentle, loving, intelligent, & ambitious.”
Ms Rivalland continued, writing that Ms Bell had “hopes & dreams” and “so many things to do, places to go, & people to see”.

“Isla loved nature & animals, she loved exploring & making memories, she loved being an aunty, she loved her family, & she loved this world – despite its cruelty,” Ms Rivalland wrote.

“Isla fiercely loved & protected everyone close to her. She would move mountains for her loved ones.”

Ms Bell has been remembered as a ‘kind, gentle, loving, intelligent & ambitious’ woman. Picture: Facebook.

She wrote that Ms Bell’s “strength & kindness were one of a kind”, and she deserved to celebrate her 20th birthday with friends and family.

“We want Isla to be remembered for the woman she was, not for what happened to her,” she wrote.

“I love you forever.”

In another post Ms Rivalland said Ms Bell was her “soul sister”.

“My beautiful sweetpea,” Mr Rivalland wrote.

“I will love & miss you forever.

“For as long as I live I will never understand why.

“My beautiful soul sister.

“‘Til Valhalla my darling.”

‘85 WOMEN 2 MANY’

A Melbourne train has been graffitied in Ms Bell’s honour, with red and yellow lettering spelling out her name across a carriage.

A Melbourne train has been graffitied with Isla Bell's name. Picture: Facebook.

The graffiti also notes 85 Australian women have been lost to violence this year. Picture: Facebook.

Next to it a stark message in black spray paint reads “85 women 2 many”.

Ms Bell’s death marked the 85th Australian woman lost to violence this year, according to Sherele Moody’s Femicide Watch.

However, Ms Moody on Friday shared that an 86th woman had died this year.

FIGHT CAPTURED ON CCTV

According to a summary of the police case released by the court, Ms Bell was allegedly caught on CCTV entering Mr Ganiev’s St Kilda apartment about 9.30pm on October 5 and was not seen leaving.

Police allege that about 12.43am on October 7, the footage captured a fight through a gap in a kitchen window, with Ms Bell seen falling to the ground.

“Investigators observed what appears to be Bell’s head whipping around as if she has been struck,” the brief states.

It’s alleged the CCTV footage shows Mr Ganiev cleaning thoroughly over the next few days before Mr Yaffe arrived with a black fridge on October 9.

The fridge allegedly remained in Mr Ganiev’s apartment for eight days before Mr Yaffe assisted him to remove it wrapped in plastic on October 17.

Ms Bell was last seen leaving her Brunswick residence. Picture: Supplied.

It was allegedly moved to various locations around Melbourne before a man found the fridge and opened it.

The brief alleges a bag fell out and the man threw it into a rubbish bin, believing it was animal remains.

According to the summary, Mr Ganiev allegedly claimed he did not kill Ms Bell but used the fridge to transport her remains after she died at his place.

It’s alleged during his interview that he told police he did not have sex with her nor buy her gifts.

The summary alleges Mr Yaffe told police he helped deliver a new fridge to Mr Ganiev and assisted him to dump the old one 300m from his home on a kerbside pick-up without knowing the contents.

During his brief court appearance, Mr Ganiev was slumped over and rubbing his face as his lawyer Adrian Lewin noted that his client was prescribed methadone and had not received a dose in two days.

Mr Yaffe, the court was told, had intended to apply for bail but would instead seek to be freed at a hearing on Friday.

He was brought into court on Wednesday afternoon, smiling and nodding at family members as lawyer Ian Hill KC requested Mr Yaffe be seen by a nurse for a bad back.