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  • 6 hours ago
Prosecutors have sensationally dropped murder and manslaughter charges against the man who was accused of killing Melbourne woman Isla Bell and putting her remains in a fridge. Ms Bell’s family says they are devastated by the outcome.

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00:02Isla Bell's family have been grieving since her death.
00:06Now they've been dealt another crushing blow.
00:09My expectations in our legal system were low.
00:14But obviously not low enough.
00:18Prosecutors downgraded a murder charge to manslaughter
00:21against Miss Bell's alleged killer.
00:23Today that charge was dropped too.
00:25This is a very difficult day.
00:31To see the charges that have been dropped.
00:34I raised Isla to be full of compassion and care and integrity and strength.
00:43The 19-year-old went missing in October 2024, prompting a large-scale search.
00:50Six weeks later, a grim discovery, with Miss Bell's remains found at a Dandenong tip.
00:55Police alleged Murat Ghaniev killed her in his apartment and put her body in a fridge, which was dumped on
01:01the street.
01:02That fridge was then moved around Melbourne's south-east.
01:06In a statement, the Office of Public Prosecution said there was insufficient evidence to pursue manslaughter.
01:11They've now charged Mr Ghaniev with attempting to pervert the course of justice.
01:16Last year, forensic experts told a court they couldn't determine how Miss Bell died.
01:21That was because her remains were badly damaged by rubbish truck equipment and she had a cocktail of drugs in
01:28her system.
01:29Today, prosecutors also abandoned a case against an alleged co-offender, Eyal Yafi.
01:35He was accused of helping Mr Ghaniev move the fridge, but denied knowing there was a body inside.
01:41How could you not have realised that something strange was inside that fridge?
01:44Miss Bell's family say the system has let them down, but they'll fight on in Eyal's memory.
01:51If I speak for truth and justice, I'm not going to be defeated.
01:57妳 going to be defeated.
01:57She did.
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