Isla Bell: manslaughter charge dropped against man accused of killing Melbourne teen and hiding body in fridge | Victoria

Prosecutors have dropped an involuntary manslaughter charge against the man accused of killing a 19-year-old woman and hiding her body in a refrigerator.

Marat Ganiev, 55, was accused of killing Isla Bell in the early hours of October 7, 2024 and hiding her body in the refrigerator.

His remains were found six weeks later in a landfill in Melbourne’s south-east.

Ganiev was initially charged with murder, but that was reduced to manslaughter when the case was appealed to the Victorian supreme court.

Crown prosecutor Jeremy McWilliams told the court on Tuesday that the manslaughter charge against Ganiev had also been withdrawn.

Ganiev will instead be charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, and a new indictment is expected to be filed later Tuesday.

A new trial date has not yet been set, but a summary of the allegations will be presented to the defense within the next two weeks.

Eyal Yaffe, 59, was also originally charged with aiding an offender and attempting to pervert the course of justice in connection with Bell’s death.

On Tuesday, McWilliams also confirmed that Yaffe’s charges would be stayed.

Yaffe declined to comment as he walked out of court a free man on crutches.

A spokesman for the Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the charges were withdrawn due to “insufficient evidence” to support the offences.