Isla Bell’s final message before alleged murder details apparent involvement with ‘Russian sugar daddy’

A missing Victorian teenager whose remains were found at a waste management facility sent a message to her friend on the day she was allegedly murdered saying she had found “the best Russian sugar daddy”.

Isla Bell’s remains were found at the facility in Dandenong on Tuesday, more than a month after the 19-year-old went missing.

Two men have been charged in relation to Bell’s death: Marat Ganiev, 53, with murder and Eyal Yaffe, 57, with assisting an offender with murder.

Bell was last seen leaving her Brunswick home about 6pm on October 4 and was allegedly killed by Ganiev at his St Kilda East apartment three days later.

Ganiev, 53, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

According to court documents, October 7 was the last time Bell used any of her social media accounts.

Just after midnight, she sent a Snapchat to a friend telling her that she had found “the best Russian sugar daddy” who had been lavishing her with gifts and had saved her from sex traffickers.

It’s unclear to whom Bell was referring.

Shortly after this message was sent the teenager “abruptly” stopped replying to her friend, the Victoria Police summary said.

The summary also stated that Ganiev’s building was surrounded by a CCTV system that covered the front door and window of the apartment.

Bell was seen entering the apartment for the last time on October 5 and was never seen leaving again.

Police allege a fight on October 7 could be seen through a gap in the front kitchen window of Ganiev’s apartment.

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

“She falls to the ground and Ganiev can then be seen striking her on the ground of the kitchen.

“What appears to be Bell’s head can be seen rising up before being pushed back down by Ganiev’s arm.”

Bell was captured on CCTV through the same window up until 2am on October 7.

During the next few days, Ganiev is shown allegedly cleaning the apartment.

A fridge wrapped in clear plastic and black tape was allegedly moved from the apartment in a trailer attached to an RAV4 by the two men and taken to Caulfield South where it stayed until October 22.

Police allege the fridge was used to store Bell’s body.

A neighbour reported the fridge to police because it was attracting flies and had a “foul smell”.

The trailer carrying the fridge was allegedly moved to a Bentleigh East property before being shifted to Mulgrave days later in a Hino removal van.

A resident discovered Bell’s remains on November 18 after he removed the plastic wrapping, the fridge door swung open and a bag fell out.

He believed the bag contained animal remains, and dumped the fridge on a street corner near hard rubbish in Bentleigh.

The man then placed the bag holding Bell’s remains in a residential rubbish bin before later contacting police.

Human remains, which are yet to be formally identified, were then found at a waste management facility in Dandenong, in Melbourne’s outer east, on Tuesday evening.

The summary said Yaffe had planned to leave Australia for Bulgaria the day after he was arrested, having booked the flight a week and a half ago after being spoken to by police.

A third man was also arrested on Tuesday but released pending further enquiries.

Ganiev, wearing a black T-shirt, sat slumped in the court dock as he looked around the room on Wednesday morning.

He was remanded in custody and is set to return to court in March.

Bell’s mother Justine Spokes paid tribute to her “beloved daughter” in statements to the media on Wednesday.

“Cherished forever and suffering no more,” she told The Age newspaper.

“I am so sorry I could not protect you, that your experience of the world was cruel and unsafe.”