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The Case Of

Isla Bell: Why her alleged murder case collapsed

5/18/202626 min

Isla Bell met a man, never came home, then her body was found in a tip. But now, no one will face charges for her death — why?

Reporter Kristian Silva explains the timeline of the Brunswick teenager's death and the investigation that followed, leading to a shocking change from the Office of Public Prosecutions.

If you have any questions you'd like Kristian and Stocky to answer in future episodes, please email thecaseof@abc.net.au.

The Case Of is the follow-up to the hit podcast Mushroom Case Daily, and all episodes of that show will remain available in the back catalogue of The Case Of.

Clips

The Fridge Swap Mystery
Horrific Discovery in the Van
Mother's Gut-Wrenching Reaction
Cause of Death Unknown
Proving Murder: Legal High Bar

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Sana Qadar0:00

    Hey there, Sana Qadar here from All in the Mind. Check out our new series, Forensic. It's all about the psychological tools and tricks that come with investigating crime.

  2. Stephen Stockwell· Host0:09

    He was setting the bombs off in subways, in the New York Public Library, in movie theaters.

  3. Speaker 30:15

    When you're testifying in court, rather than having purely your own memory, you take on all these little bits and pieces of information from different sources.

  4. Sana Qadar0:23

    All in the Mind: Forensic. Search for All in the Mind on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.

  5. Christian Silva0:29

    ABC Listen. Podcasts, radio, news, music, and more.

  6. Stephen Stockwell· Host0:35

    [gentle music] Isla Bell was 19. She loved gardening and dreamt of becoming a marine biologist, but one night in 2024, she met a man in Melbourne and never came home. The murder charge he faced has now been dropped, and her family is coming to terms with the possibility that no one will be held responsible for her death. I'm Stephen Stockwell, and today we find out why. And this episode comes with a content warning. There may be some details you find distressing, so take care listening. This is the case of Isla Bell.

  7. Sana Qadar1:15

    Victoria Police have charged two men in relation to the suspicious disappearance of a missing Melbourne teenager.

  8. Christian Silva1:22

    Isla, then 19, was last seen leaving her home in Brunswick. Six weeks later, a grim discovery, with Ms. Bell's remains found at

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