Prosecutors have withdrawn a manslaughter charge against Marat Ganiev, 55, who was accused of killing 19-year-old Isla Bell and hiding her body in a fridge. The decision was announced in the Victorian Supreme Court on Tuesday, with Crown prosecutor Jeremy McWilliams stating the charge would not proceed.
Ganiev had originally been charged with murder, but that was downgraded to manslaughter as the case progressed. He will now face a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, with a fresh indictment expected to be filed later on Tuesday. A new trial date has not yet been set, but a summary of the allegations will be provided to the defence within the next fortnight.
Isla Bell disappeared in the early hours of 7 October 2024. Her remains were discovered six weeks later at a rubbish tip in Melbourne’s south-east. Ganiev was accused of hiding her body in a fridge.
Separately, Eyal Yaffe, 59, who was originally charged with assisting an offender and attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to Bell’s death, had his charges discontinued. Yaffe declined to comment as he left court on crutches.
A spokesperson for the Office of Public Prosecutions confirmed that both sets of charges were withdrawn due to insufficient evidence to support the offences.
