« Casefile True Crime

Case 105: Louise Bell

2019-01-26 | 🔗
During recess and lunchtime at Hackham West Primary School in 1982, teachers patrolled the schoolyard to oversee the young children as they ran around and played together between lessons. Yet, there was often one student separated from the others, preferring to stick by her teachers’ sides rather than go off and play with her peers – 10-year-old Louise Bell... Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Episode researched and written by Elsha McGill For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-105-louise-bell
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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With serious and often distressing incidents, if you feel at any time, you need support, please contact your local cross, a centre for suggested phone numbers for confidential support place said the shine aids for this episode on Europe or on our website. Today's episode deals with the crimes committed against the job that won't be suitable for always needs. During recess into lunchtime at on West primary school in nineteen, ninety two teachers, patrolled the schoolyard to ever oversee the young, children, as they ran around and played together between lessons yet It was often one student separated from the others, preferring to stick by had teaches sides rather than go off and play with her peace ten year old ways A shy and timid go the ways Van comfort,
in the company of that all tomb. She knew and trusted. When her fifth grade teacher Miss Grace asked if boys would rather play with her classmates instead of accompanying her own yacht Judy, she responded on fine unhappy or just want to stay and help. You Linking hands with her teacher the wages introversion extended beyond school hours, when her friends were rushing out of this ass to head. The ways would often stable and and help clean up before her parents arrived to pick her up during a school. Can she sat by itself on the boss and didn't interact with the other pupils, but the camp itself served to bring ways out of her shell when she joined in on a pillow fight that broke out amongst the children. The teachers were delighted to say always jumping on the phone
on the other ways, was finally starting to feel more at ease with appease despite suffering from asthma, she joined the schools. Basketball team do ye five basketball sites on a number: seven blue and Yellow Jersey. Her father Cullen Bell, sometimes assisted with the tame, affording the dad and daughter some valuable bonding time. In late November, one thousand nine hundred and ninety two, the basketball sang celebrated the end of the season, with a breakup barbecue when Pool party at that coach's house. During celebrations, Louise was thrilled to be awarded with a trophy commending, Arafat's ending Norte. Ninety thousand two hundred and ten, how I know the following: He started like any other for the Bell family parents, Cullen and Diana, where enjoying spending quality time with LE ways and their younger daughter six year old Rachel who were both off school for the summer holidays.
Christmas and new year had gone boy in a whirlwind of excitement and social and gauge meant, and things were starting decline and down after the busy festive season, the bill family. What looking forward to relaxing over the weeks ahead before school resumed at the end of the month, with the two young siblings eager for upcoming plans that included a shopping excursion, a picnic and a trip to the cinema to say the latest Steven Spielberg blockbuster eighty, On January, fourth, one thousand nine hundred and eighty three Diane instructed the two daughters to prepare for better, as the sun began, to set over meadow, why the quiet residential straight in the lower and middle class suburb of hacking, west local thirty kilometers south of Adelaide Central Business District. The bell resin.
This was an unassuming small family, homestead typical of the area, the single story, cream, brick building with a fenced in backyard and small front lawn the face to directly onto the street. At eight hundred and thirty I am the ways dressed in part of the new pajama said she had received for Christmas. A pale, yellow, sleeveless cotton top dotted with small, yellow flowers. That is not where the matching shorts and she found them to uncomfortable. The young builders said good night to their parents and retired to the small bedroom thy shed at the front of the house, which held two single beds, pushed against the Jason Walls, separated by a chest of drawers The bedhead sly, underneath the large window that overlooked the front lawn at ten p dot m Diane, went to check on her daughters and found that Louise was still awake,
noticing that the curtain and window where ripen above the ways is bad Diane instructed her eldest daughter to close them. wishing her good night and heading off to bed in the room next door Diana. Why could six o clock the following morning of January far? as she walked down the short haul towards the front door. She paid into her daughter's bedroom and noticed the youngest Rachel was still sleeping, but Louise was not in her bed. She checked the land dream kitchen I meant back yard backyard, but there was no sign of her oldest daughter, anywhere Diane woke her husband Colin, who rushed into his daughter. bedroom, where he made a horrifying discovery. The
The window above the ways his bed were opened and the mesh floss Green appeared to have been caught from the corner of the window frame and was flapping in the breeze. He rice doubts on checking the Navy Swimming Pool before heading down the straight to the primary school, desperately searching for any sort of his daughter owing to find other ways common return time distress to find she hadn't China. During his brief absence, he turned to his wife and said something is terribly wrong.
Police, arrived at the bills, meadow way, property to conduct a search for the ways and question a family about a possible whereabouts. Six year old, Rachel Bell, who had been sleeping soundly in the bed next to her sister hadn't, heard the ways get out of her bed at any time throughout the night. All morning, block was neither of her parents had heard a sound, despite their bedrooms being set up. Ideally only by a very thin war and both bedroom doors, remaining open, all noise notable. the window leading into the ten year olds bedroom was in full view of the street. She only by a handful of sparsely established, trees and shrubs. then, the chair in the Mesh floss grain, covering the window there were no signs of forced entry or of a struggle having taken place,
upon initial inspection of the torn screen police believe the wire had been pushed out of place from inside the bedroom. This led them to consider the possibility of a waste was responsible for the brake each herself and had luckily less time on her own accord and would soon returned However, given the ways is asthmatic medical history, they proceeded with a full scale investigation amid concerns for her safety. Play eleven, a dot m at two: a dot m had gathered at the nearby Christies Beach police station to formulate a plan enlisting the services of various departments, including high ranking police officers, the special task and rescue Force Country Fire service and to the state of emergency services. They established the police come on post at the new black and west primary school, but Cullen Bell made a brief appearance telling them
yeah. We love the ways very much and want her to come home. It doesn't matter if she's done anything wrong, just some knowledge that she's all right would bear relief. We award that she may have an asthma attack if she's in trouble, three helicopters swept the nearby coastline as Lauren force volunteers until a ways as relatives and friends came to the surrounding suburbs, checking everything from storm wanna drains to rubbish, bins. The possibility. the young girl had simply run away from home was dismissed. when over one hundred members of the multiple emergency service departments, failed to uncover any sign of the ways. After six hours of intense searching. But the next day of January, six police decline
at Louise's disappearance, a major crime, the police, technical services team was unable to find any scientific or physical evidence to suggest. Louise had been abducted from her bedroom leading investigators to maintain the belief that the young girl had voluntarily left time but had ran into foul play shortly. Thereafter Rachel Bell drive around with police to point out all the locations that her older sister was known to play, but there was no So one of the ways at any of her favorite hang out. Police stations across the state were issued with a description of the ways who was approximately five foot tall and of average bill with short Brown, hair brown eyes lightly, freckled skin, and it was likely wearing floral, yellow pyjamas that may have taken a change of lights with her
Investigators conducted door, Knox of the area and innovate. Anyone who had been in racing contact with the Bell family to safe they could on cover any leads in the days before the ways is disappearance the local nope and were called having to Jumpsome Tent why's that had been sitting across the concrete path leading to the bill. Front door, the weather on the morning of January. Fourth, he noticed the tenth was when no longer sitting on the front part, but had instead been bunched together and move the saw it on the loan clearing the way has the search for, ways gathered, pace, color and Diana Bell remained at home in case their daughter reappeared, or any news came through. although police had initially advised the couple not to speak to the media in a bid to raise awareness
Cologne and Diane invited members of the press into their home to make a public appeal for information. They said they hadn't been out, but it's Spending many hours with police going out of Louise's photographs, school reports and provide some sort of clue sitting solemnly on the. To nearly Andrew and emotionally destroy column. Bill broke down in tease, as he told tv news report, is, I'm convinced she's, not hiding anywhere, and if someone is watching this don't harm her place down. Diane set by side visibly shaken ass. She timidly asked her daughter to place: come home colonnades to residents of South astronomy, to check their backyard sheds and unoccupied shacks fellow ways before plating quote to anyone who might have her, even if they just
leave her in a fine box a hundred miles from here. Please do it if they feel this is gone too far, and I don't want to get caught. Please don't harm the ways leave her where we can find her. A large publicity campaign was launched with hundreds of posters featuring low wages, photograph and physical description, distributed throughout suburban shopping centres, with newspapers, television and radio stations ass to promote the campaign posters of low wages smiling face, but plastered on the front of public transport bosses,
throughout the Adelaide Metropolitan area, urging anyone with information to come forward. Ten detectives were assigned to work on the case full time as an additional thirty. Five police officers conducted numerous searches around the bills, property and the surrounding hacker West area. The police, technical services, Tame conducted further tests on the mesh floss grain from the ways is bedroom window and stated that were unable to determine whether the screen I had been torn from within the bedroom boycott from outside the home police staged a rain Nachman to determine the logistics of someone reaching in the bedroom window and snatching the ways from her bed and concluded. It would have taken an adult male perpetrator, six feet tall or higher just thirty seconds to lift the child and carry her around. they also theorized LE ways, may have been in toys.
Well said the house either via the window or even the front door, although her parents dismiss this theory saying their daughter was well aware of strange, a danger, the bill family and investigators who were working tirelessly on that I continued to hold onto the hope that the waste would be found alive. The braced themselves for the worst major crimes got detective J J Edward said There is always hard, but, as time goes by, that hope must diminish the sad part is we have nothing on how she left home. There is no point gave information which could indicate the circumstances of her leaving home or what has happened to her since that time. On January twelve one week, after the ways vanished. The south is striving government offered a five day
and dollar reward for anyone with information about her whereabouts. The. Lord was not a substantial as the community had hoped that, given the lack of evidence to confer with the question whether or not a crime had occurred, it was the best the government could offer acting South astronomy and premier. Mr Roy said he don't know what happened to this poor ten year old girl, whether she has run away from home or is lost in the bush. We will increase the for the moment the police are able to tell me that they are convinced that there is a crime. But at present we want information on the whereabouts of the child. The day off, the reward was announced. Column Bell received a phone call,
the unknown Mayo COLA claimed to have taken the ways and demanded thirty thousand dollars threatening to kill the charred. If the money wasn't pay, the call was soon determined to bear The cooler identified as an unemployed and nineteen year old from the nearby suburb of mutual pod, who is charged with the crime of demanding money with menaces a second phone call from someone claiming to have information about the ways was made at nine p dot m on January 17th. Four days after initial oaks coal. Strangely, this call was placed to a hacker waste resident who lived under bank growth, just two straight away from the bills home on meadow but the recipient of the coal had no relation to the Bell family, The unknown mayo call us spoke with a slight european action and claimed he had the ways bell in these custody:
He soon noticeably upset pausing to take deep breaths says he explained that the ways was in need of medical assistance. Alluding that her injuries were the result of sexual assault. He said the ways was happy with him and did not want to go home. but insisted it was a matter of life or death describing her go condition as a desperate situation. The cooler explained that he had chosen a phone number at random and was unwilling to contact emergency services for help in case that phone call was traceable. to prove that he was telling the truth. He advised the pair of the ways is earrings could be found underneath a brake on the corner of South Road and Bates Rodion Hacker West, a main intersection, just one kilometer from the bills, property on meadow way.
Police were immediately informed of the coal and rushed to the location specified by the anonymous cola. Sure enough on the corner of the South Road and Bay trading Section, I found a broken break with a pair of small Silva who bearings hidden under needs. Colin and Diane Bell confirmed the earrings belonged to LE ways as they fainted a repair grandfather had made to the catch on one of the items certain the ways was wearing. earrings on the night of her disappearance. Is now no doubt she had met with foul play and was in grave danger in a subsequent press conference Investigators said it was unclear whether the person involved was known to the Bell family, but, given the information received during the anonymous phone call remained confident that the waste was still alive and was being held captive,
at a late area attempts to trace the fund, call from the perpetrator were unsuccessful. The recipient of the mysterious cool heads. who put down as many nights during the conversation ass. She could, but nothing listed led to the identification of a suspect. However, Investigators now had some information to go by the suspect had a european accent, and it was described as pleasant, sounding and well spoken with a very good command of English. days later. On January, twenty police received her What from a member of the public who was prompted to coal authority, softest, putting me in acting suspiciously and the date Craig area? Eighty five kilometres south event,
like the man was in the company of a young girl, and the pair were seen with the blue card police rushed to the area, but failed to uncover any sign of the ways all her Capta six weeks when, by with no further contact from the alleged perpetrator, then on February twenty eight, the under bank, a bribe resident
who had received the phone call that led a thirty two. The discovery of low wages, earrings was once again involuntarily involved with the investigation. The woman awoke six forty five. I am and went to collect the milk ended newspaper from her front yard when she noticed what appeared to be an odour rag lying on her long. She paid the autumn. No attention and carried on with her morning retain Hale was lighter at around annoying. I am. She returned home after dropping her son off at school when the rag What I saw at once more ass. She noticed that was neatly folded. She picked it up and to realise that wasn't a rag at all, but a slave, less cotton, pajama top dotted with yellow flowers. It had multiple tears down each side and was drenched in water thinking, nothing of it. The woman placed the item
clothing inside an empty poplin container, with the intention of the late hour, throwing it away path an hour later, she was hit with the stark realization. The ways Bell had. and wearing a floral, yellow pajama talk on the night. She went missing. Police were notified of the discovery and presented the autumn to call on and going in both the couple noticed the label for the inside color of the talk was missing, confirming that it belonged to their daughter, Diane herself record previously. Cutting the large red label from the government after the ways had complained a visiting her neck. Having new identified low wages, hearings in pajama top police were no closer to finding the child or her doktor. At the suggestion of power, I saw the woman who phantom always pajama top a great to be hypnotized in a bid to review,
of any memories that could assist with the investigation under hypnosis. She recalled that when she first left her house to collect the milk and paper at six, forty five and she noticed the head and shoulders of a clean, shaven man with color length, blonde hair auditing behind a brick wall less than one hundred metres from her home after returning home from dropping her son off at So the woman also recalled she had seen the leg of a man in a nearby walkway. This information led to the theory that the perpetrator had been hiding close by, so he could watch as the woman discovered. The pajama top authorities were convinced that the perpetrator was taunting them by distributing the ways his belongings throughout Hakone West, with the intention of them being found, it appeared he
derived pleasure from this twisted game of cat and mouse examination of Louise's pajama shirt revealed. It had been removed from her body in such a way that suggested her hands had been banned together at the time. In addition, It is about me, and so on. The water logged pajama top were found to contain a unique blend of mockery, biology, fanned exclusively in the young, comparing the river an idea. The Colombian along Waterway that stretches share westerly from the man lofty ranges and ends in poor no longer, like I d, just I kilometers from the bills family home in Hacker West And in love and surrounding riverbanks, import no longer was searched. Resulted in note
I saw the ways or her doktor. Nevertheless, investigators believed the close proximity between the locations where the ways earrings and a pajama top were found, as well as the source of the algae and soil samples found on the ladder indicated. The perpetrator ADA lived in a boy who had not taken this. Google The reward for information regarding Bell's whereabouts received a significant boost when a group of Anonymous satellite businessman donated an additional ten thousand dollars for her safe return Raising the total sum of the reward to fifteen thousand dollars catholic priest Reverend Father Robert. I can offered himself as a mediator for the Bell family and made a public play for the person responsible for the ways is adoption to return. The young girl to her family, he invited
the trader to make confidential contact with him any time via phone at the church or any other location reassuring. He was just as concerned for the perpetrators, well being as he was follow. Ways When the priest was asked, if offering his services to the potentially dangerous man, put his own safety at risk, father Akin replied, I have no dependents. This girl is just beginning life and I don't mind, putting myself in danger. If it's going to help someone, Father agents invitation yielded no response. Meanwhile, police continue with their investigation door, knocking over two and a half thousand times and conducting interviews with use with eight thousand people. Despite these efforts, months passed with no compelling late or discoveries
then crucial information was offered from an unexpected source. When several in May said, the now defunct Adelaide jail alleged, they knew who was responsible for the ways both disappearance according to full prisoners. In April of nineteen, eighty three, a fellow we made saving time for a night month, prison sentence. First string of child sex crimes confessed to murdering the ways the inmate, with thirty six year old, father, full Raymond, Jonah, gazing, gazing was not unknown to investigators. He'd been interviewed just days after the incident, as he was unknown. Sex offender who, up until just before the ways is disappearance, had lived only five hundred metres away from her residence in hacking west. At the time, the ways went, missing, gazing had only just
like hated to the outer city suburb of torrents view, twenty nine kilometers away a link between the suspect and always was established via information provided by one of gazing. Sex was price Please move across tat. The torrents ville gazing, served as president of the hacker West Community group and had given the Bell family and application form for membership. when cleaning out casings belongings, after their separation, his ex wife and a piece of paper with Colin those name and address written on passed on by another member of the community group, to whom the bells had expressed an interest in joining, Their investigation revealed the young couple. Ringer River was a favorite fishing, sportive casings and a pair of snake is found in the back of his vehicle contained the same Mokroe biological substance as that found on the ways the jam atop.
Based on Raymond John casings alleged to jail ass confessions, previous residency within the hacker West Area, known Association with the Bell family convictions for child sex offences and the forensic evidence that put him in the vicinity of the young, comparing the river police charged him with the abduction and murder of low ways. In November. One thousand nine hundred and eighty four casings to trial in the South australian Supreme Court we're only two of the invite statements regarding his alleged confession. What considered admissible the prosecution you days as the backbone for their case and argued that multiple sources claimed gazing casing had showed a consciousness of guilt regarding the ways is disappearance
although he didn't have a european accent. His well spoken men are matched the voice described by the hacker West resident, who received the Franco that lead investigators till a ways. Earrings D, only physical evidence link engaging till always disappearance, was the micro biological substance found Donnie snake is that was also found on the ways pajama talk. Nevertheless, the circumstantial evidence against him. Strong and after twenty four hours of deliberation, the jury delivered their verdict guilty. Raymond John Casing was sentenced to life in prison. For the murder of Louise Bell
The casing continued to maintain his innocence over Louise's murder and seventeen months into his life sentence. He appealed his conviction during the appeal hearing one of the two inmates who had testified against him at trial, retracted their testimony admitting gazing had never can. ass to the crime in another blow to the original trial. The appellate judge determined the statements given by the second inmate, who claimed gazing, had confessed where a complete fabrication,
both witnesses were deemed to be unreliable and untrustworthy, rendering their residence in admissible. Without these jailhouse confessions, which formed the entire backbone of the prosecutions case, the highly circumstantial case against gazing wakened dramatically. Chief justice king, who was ever seeing the appeal said quite if the evidence is disallowed the inevitable consequences that the trial least miscarried. And the verdict must be set aside on April, twelve nineteen. Ninety five Raymond. gazing conviction for the murder of Norway's Bell was quashed by the south australian court of appeal and he was cleared of all charges relating to her disappearance. It's after the hearing came to an end, gazing was released from custody is wrong
who conviction reference, doesn't miscarriage of justice in a strategy and legal system, yet his release serve. Does not the tuna defect gazing to continue to harm others. As years later, he was found guilty and sentenced to seven years prison for child sex crimes committed against two sisters over night YE period with gazing eliminated as a suspect in the low waste Bell investigation. Her case was re opened and her disappearance was once again marked unsolved.
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and they were no longer actively looking for a suspect but were instead focusing their investigations on finding the school ghost body in order to provide closure for her family. Although detectives had no suspects, they described the likely perpetrator to be a tall, strong man who is very sore, the logical abnormal following the today in Quest state car Kevin O'Hearn handed down his findings, conclude no wasted being abducted from her bedroom during the night of January. Fourth, one thousand nine hundred and eighty three in what was likely a sexually motivated attack. He also suggested the perpetrator could be an exhibitionist, giving his premeditated actions in exposing certain clues to authorities such as the
His pajama top and dealings coroner has said that there was nothing to suggest low wages. Disappearance was connected with any other missing children's cases inside the strata, and he found it quite very disturbing to read lies there are people in the community of such abnormal mentality. The coroner at that, while the ways his body had not yet been located, his official finding presumed she was no longer alive. Determined to get on with that loss. Color, The die I'm Bell had not spoken to the media since the early days of the investigation and were destroyed to discover the inquest into their daughters. Disappearance was being conducted so close to Christmas in a reluctant comments to what a light newspaper, the Advertiser Colon Bell said. I just want to be left alone with my family
What's left of it, it's been a tremendous strain on all of us. Only the offender can know what we've been through, and it's water off a duck's back to him. We just want to get our lives back together, After the coronial inquest for years went by No new information regarding always bells disappearance and the case went call Until a new line of inquiry eventually came to lot on December 13th, one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine that's thirteen year old boy was riding his bike in Port Noarlunga. When the occupant of a white Volkswagen, Kombi Van tricked him into entering his vehicle. That's a Niger was then beyond gagged and blindfolded before the acai
through the boys bicycle into the back of the van after driving nor kilometers south towards the rugged coastline of mass ones, page the silent what his captives bogged down and abandoned it against the gate to create the illusion. Tat was in the area When the alarm was raised, that the teenager was missing, the discovery of his abandoned bark led police to presume he had drowned and a land and sea search of mass loans beige ensued. In reality, the teen was being driven to his abduct, his property in Hakone West, where he was held captive overnight and subjected to repeated acts of sexual abuse. At midday, the following day, the assailant temporarily left the property, giving the brave captive time and opportunity to free himself from his bonds. He ran
into a house next door where he raised the alarm and pull police for help. The assailant returned home a short while later oblivious to the fact his captive had escaped and police were awaiting his arrival. He was promptly placed under arrest the manners Answerable for the teenagers attack was forty one year old data Fenech a mild mannered German born maths and science, high school teacher, who is married with two daughters
Upon learning he's captive had escaped Finnegan method to the brazen attack, but said he rightly taken the boy because he felt lonely telling police. Quite I just wanted someone to hug data. Fanny was held in the Christy's page police station, where he placed a phone call to his wife admitting he had been thinking about committing the crime for months, whilst Veni, goose in police custody law enforcement received a phone call from a woman who believed the schoolteacher could be restored. Simple for another crime, eleven months prior to pfennigs arrest. On January eighteen, nineteen, eighty nine ten year old, Marco Black left his house in their rural Riverside town of Mary Bridge, located seventy six kilometres east of Adelaide Markel hopped on his bicycle and wrote stir reserve a popular riverside recreation area Michael was looking for
into an afternoon of fishing, taking with him a fishing rod, canvas bag and his beloved family dog. Sturt Reserve was one of Michael's, favorite fishing and swimming spots, where the lush green lawns, Cam ward has provided the perfect place, the cost of online various witnesses, spotted Markle at the reserve throughout the day with the last night. So I didn't occurring just before three p dot m Later that afternoon, his fishing rod back bag and stones were found a, namely stuck together further upstream at the much quieter fishing spot of Chile. Reason if he shirt was found in a willow tree even further upstream, where his dog was spotted, barking frantically and running up and down the riverbank no witnesses that same Marco, that reserve and these parents can There was an area. Their son did not like the frequent as he was forbidden from venturing there without parental supervision
although he was a competent swimmer, then extensive underwater Of the area was conducted by police divers as they believe the market. I have drawn his body wasn't found, nor did rise to the surface after three days, as was expected in the case of death caused by drowning. according to office is in charge of the investigation. The possibility that Marco's body lay untouched I read in the water was incredibly slim and he was officially declared a missing person, while data Fanny was in custody for them. Doctrine and assault committed against the thirteen year old boy taken from Poland. No longer a witness reported defending, could bain at her house around the time of Michael Blacks disappearance,
when a story about the missing boy aired on their knees. Veni grim out. He had been at stake reserve on the day. Michael was lost sane and he had helped the young boy with these fishing rod, policing viewed. Eggs worth who confirmed her husband had been away from home during the time of Marco Blacks disappearance, leaving for a three day trip in his convenient to study physics in preparation for an upcoming teaching job. According to funding stored up her father said he lent Michael and North, to help him scale of fish and asked the young boy to return and off to his van once he was done. In addition, Multiple witnesses confirmed having seen what can be speeding away from tv reserve on the day, Mako vanished policing then a five many similarities between Marco's unsolved case and data
exaggeration crimes against the thirteen year old boy. They suspected Fenech made efforts to mislaid police by setting up Marcos, Bossy, go to appear as though the child had drowned. Just lucky had done when committing the following abduction. Eleven months later, subsequently, Fenech was charged with the murder of model Black, given the location of his home in Hakon West. He also became a person of interest in another high profile. Unsolved case, the disappearance of the ways Bell. Never multiple fact is pinpointing. Data Fanny gives a suspect for low wages adoption. Firstly, the ten year old had attended school and played on the same basketball team as one offending daughters and the two were familiar with one. Another fanny was also nine to frequent the young comparing revising river in canoe. A k local
sure of interest in the ways adoption due to the abbey and soil samples found on her good John is additionally, Veni was an insomniac known by family members and neighbours to walk the streets later he lived on Holly Rise, a straight just seven minutes, walk away from the bill property on meadow way, with the two homes connected by a series of quiet lane, ways that would have provided the ample opportunity for him to transport. The young go without being seen. However, Fanny provided police with another boy for the night of low wages disappearance he had been on holiday with these family visiting relative since one heal, a river saw, a town in the neighbouring state of victory His wife and daughter had been staying in one caravan, while Fanny had been staying in a separate rental caravan on his own, invest the guy is tracked down the caravan rental company and discovered a data. Fanny had actually returned
peace, caravan on January, four, putting him back in Adelaide. during the night of the wages abduction while his family remained in one hill. This was confirmed by a former neighbor who had been instructed to water, the pfennigs garden, while the family was in Victoria. In the days following the ways disappearance neighbour, noted, The data Fanny had returned home early, so we went over to notify him about the events of the previous few days. When Fanny go into the door, he was noticeably dishevelled and was alleged to have remarked. There goes my alibi.
in February, one thousand nine hundred and ninety one after a search for the remains of Markle Black into Louise Bell was conducted at Finney's property on Holly ROD, floorboards into bedrooms with pulled up and dissection of the backyard and the Reshard Burger excavated. But no human remains physical evidence or anything else of interest was uncovered for the kidnapping and sexual assault committed against the thirteen year old boy from Port Noarlunga. He defended you pleaded guilty the professed his innocence for any other crimes with the strong circumstantial evidence. him. He stood trial for the murder of Marco Black entering a play of not guilty in a highly controversial move. The judge allowed propensity evidence
Otherwise known as similar fact evidence to be presented at trial, this meant pfennigs other related convictions, whipping made it to be reference to during these current trawl and to use this evidence against him permitting similar fact. Evidence is rarely allowed. Do taken, sir, the defendant, maybe unfairly George, but the presiding judge for the Motto black motor trawl felt an essential. The jury be made aware of pfennigs prior criminal history involving children based on circumstantial evidence and statements from over one hundred witnesses. Data Fanny was convicted of Michael Blacks, murder and sentenced to thirty eight years in prison. He remained a person of interest in the waste bells disappearance, but police had no concrete evidence to link him to the crime
and in the case of ITALY, went called during the early years of the Ways Bell Investigation, the suspect, pool, included, convicted, kill a couple veil, my back into bury Watts. The couples known crimes are covered in case one hundred and one of case far but investing. It is nature, was believed back into what might have been responsible for the unsolved disappearance of a number of young women in a stronger throughout the nineteen eighties. Prior to her death in two thousand. I vow my back was in town, guided at length about Louise Bell, but she failed to reveal any information they solidified, her robbery watts were involved in the crime passing away without the death bed. Confession many had hoped for. By MID two thousand and nine twenty six years had passed since will always vanished in the middle of the night, from her own bedroom,
and her cold case was re opened, with the hopes that advances in forensic technology could lead to new opportunities in the investigation. Team of investigators were assigned. One to take a comprehensive review of the case and re examine all available evidence. Efforts proved fruitful, with forensic experts identifying and extracting several previously undiscovered traces of dna evidence it's on the pajama top Luis had been wearing on the night of her abduction. The technology wasn't quite advanced enough to link the dna to a suspect, but in two thousand and twelve the ways his pajama top was sent to a leading Ferenc institution in the Netherlands, allowing for a new day and night testing technique, known as the low copy method to be used. This was a significantly more advanced attack night than the testing method available and a stronger at the time
Allowing for a dna profile to be extracted from sweat or just a few skin cells, testing of the unidentified DNA found on the ways his pajama top resulted in a match had belonged to a prisoner currently serving time in the port Lincoln prison. On the air of South Australia. who'd ratio of higher than a billion to one, and I was not unknown to the investigation. He had been considered a strong. Person of interest in the ways of disappearance since nineteen eighty nine, the failure to uncover- concrete evidence at the time withheld and arrest the and I on the ways is closing belonged to Happen- westward, go and convicted child killer data. Fenech. back in ninety. Ninety one pfennigs former hacker West Property, was searched for clues. Regarding the Le Ways Bell Investigation
But efforts resulted in no worthwhile discoveries. Twenty one years later, in two thousand and twelve police returned to the address prepared to conduct a more extensive excavation of the yard. in the hopes of finally uncovering Louise's remains, with assistance from the australian federal police state of the art radar equipment was used to detect abnormalities underground, with special attention paid to three distinct, concrete slabs at the rear of the property. Concrete cutters were used to remove the slabs with police, then using in pans, hand, trout and shovel was to dig around and examine the soil underneath four days of extensive searching in shewed overseen by a heavy media presence.
as the community anticipated answers to the decades long mystery as to what happened to the waist bow small fragments of bone were found, but were later determined to have belonged to animals. Overall, the dig uncovered nothing of significance. police continued with their enquiries following up when I was five hundred and fifty statements taken from family members, witnesses and other members of the public throughout the original investigation, in similar circumstances to the wrongful conviction of Raymond John Gating, two separate inmates who had served Tom with data Fenech during his daddy. I e sentence for the murder of market black came forward, declaring that the former teacher
I confessed to Louise's murder. Pfennig was allegedly drinking bootleg alcohol and smoking cannabis with a fellow inmate during an in House Christmas celebration when he started sobbing and confessed to killing Michael Black, he said he couldn't. El authorities, where Marco's body was located, because quite there is a chicken there. When the prisoner asked what chick Fanny replied, Bell He allegedly admitted that he took the young girl and killed her by accident, leaving that the janitor on the front line of the Under Bank Grove resident because he felt guilty for what he had done using a prison computer Fenech brought up a map of hacking West and showed the inmates closed. The distance was between his former
then the Bell property. He claimed that the ways exit at her house via the bedroom window and went with him willingly and no danger about this minister serving talk for fraud, also alleged fanny, had confessed. Till a ways is murder, while seeking he spiritual, gardens, diminish, declined. Pfennigs whole body shook when he started. walking about the crime saying he hated the name bill because it reminded him quote of something. Attaining eating. At my heart every day, Pfennig allegedly told the minister, he wasn't concerned about the crimes he was in jail for the rather for the things that happen. Yet come to lot claiming he knew everything about the Ways Bell, including the location of her body. He said he had picked her up carried her away and
They decided to kill her when she wouldn't come down or cooperate. The minister encouraged Fanny to confess to police, but he refused saying What now I'm not going to make it out of prison? Why should a bother light a shared the same in made a manuscript. He had been riding which told the story of warrior. Attempting to rescue a young girl. The girl refused to believe worry I genuinely wanted to help her and for her lack of trust. She ends up die police were able to recover copies of the manuscript from pfennigs so On November eighteen, two thousand and thirteen sixty five year old data Fanny, was
Rested for the murder of low ways Bell Deputy Police Commissioner Grant Stevens addressed the media quite clearly. This particular matter has had a massive impact on the family they had devastated by this crime, and the fact that we have conducted this arrest today will, in some respects, provide a degree of closure It's good news, but his changed with that degree of sadness that the family and now going through another website of this particularly gruesome story given Pfennigs prior convictions and unknown reputation as a child killer. Officials were concerned that he may not save a fair trial, it was argued, a jury would find it impossible to overlook, is well known and established, deprived character, impacting never, regardless of the evidence presented.
the wrongful conviction of Raymond John gazing for the same crime? Three decades earlier, stemming from false confessions provided by Unite ensured the courts and prosecution were treading extra carefully this time around. to avoid the risk of an unfair trial it was decided to Fanny would face chord in front of a judge alone with no jury, present celebrated. Criminal barrister and Supreme Court Judge Justice, Michael David, who was well versed in the intricacies of the case and other trials that resulted in a miscarriage of This temporarily came out of retirement to oversee the trial which commenced in September two thousand and fifteen two years after pfennigs arrest.
Prosecutor, Cindy Mcdonald opened her arguments by saying there was no doubt the LE ways was no longer alive. Quite in the early days, there were still home over three decades later. The ways bill he's not coming home. The ways bellies dead she was mooted. She was taken from her bedroom in the middle of the night in the most brazen and audacious way. Mcdonald said the biggest mystery in the case was hell a ways good out of her bedroom. Given the difficulties of shifting a thirty two forty kilogram child from the bed without waking, her sister in the same room parents in the adjoining room Mcdonald said it was far more likely that the waste was tossed from her room by someone she knew and recognised, rather than a stranger during the trial
s. Accounts were heard from the inmates who good legibly confessed to as well as former neighbors colleagues and family members who said the accused had demonstrated an unusual interest in the Koran one former colleague alleged Finnegan, encouraged him to join me in on nightly, runs saying it's amazing what you can say. Three windows.
During a conversation with another former colleague pfennigs coworker, expressed her disbelief that the school girl had been taken from her bedroom. Without anybody saying or hearing a thing, Finnegan calmly replied that he believed it was very possible, as they often walked the streets. It not and never saw another living saw yet. Another colleague claim to Fanny could told them. He was a suspect in a case which prosecutor Sandy Mcdonald labelled an important piece of evidence quote why on earth would have Father teacher a family man be telling his colleague and friend that he was a suspect in the adoption and murder of a little girl. When he's not, it makes no sense unless he's getting some sort of perverse pleasure, drawing attention to him.
Continuing to talk about it. One of pfennigs daughters, who had been a classmate of low wages, testified against her father, saying he had a habit of changing the subject whenever she questioned him about the ways the Father always claimed to abandon to stay with the family during the critical time period over the ways is adoption when she knew he had returned home alone from the holiday early pfennigs Ex wife also gave evidence against in confirming her former husband had indeed returned to utter light. Only in January nineteen, eighty three, while the family continued on with their into state holiday, without him.
When they returned home, Fanny put them dinner, which she described as exceptionally unusual. Quote data never made anything. He wouldn't even make me a cup of tea. One of the ways is classmates, provided a statement via video link, saying she had seen the ways walking home with Fanny Candies daughter up to six times in the EU leading up to her doctrine. Louise's youngest sister Rachel testified TAT. She saw pfennigs convey impact on their straight in front of a neighbour's house in the years following her sisters, disappearance. In addition, the under Bank Grove resident who had received a phone call from the doktor that led to the discovery of low wages, earrings claim to German born fenning his voice matched the european accent of the young.
I called a taxi driver also testified that a man with a slightly european accent asked him to take him for a bizarre drive by of the bow home in the days following the ten year. Old's disappearance, halfway through the tro finish, suffered a heart attack in prison and was rushed to hospital where he underwent surgery and was placed in an induced coma. The future of the trial looked questionable until he made a full recovery and was cleared to return to court. Three weeks later, Although the witness statements in jail, ass confessions provided strong, circumstantial evidence, findings
dna on the ways his pajama top provided a compelling piece of physical evidence. Defense lawyer, Paul Charman argued that this evidence wasn't foolproof as there had been inconsistencies and contradictions in the results of testing conducted by different labs techniques and software initial testing of dna found on the ways is pajama shirt in another light, blue bar tree had revealed a luckily
ratio that the day night belonged to data Pfennig was sixty four hundred to one a stark contrast to the billion to one ratio determined by the lab in the Netherlands. Despite the court receiving an in depth explanation of how the dutch forensic team achieved the precise results of their low copy dna profiling, charm and argued while scientists say they can justify the varied results from a scientific point of view. That doesn't mean you're Rona can accept. They prove that day. In a case, beyond a reasonable doubt, he asked the court to be mindful that finding DNA was not found ways, windowsill or anywhere else at the crime scene. The defense team clung to this argument throughout most of the trial before presenting another theory, to explain how pfennigs DNA appeared on the ways is predominantly in November.
Nineteen eighty to less than two months before the wages induction she attended. A poor party at the home of her basketball courage is part of the tens and of safe and break up in attendance was another of low wages. Teammates data pfennigs daughter, the defence argued the defendants. Dna could have been passed until a ways and subsequently onto her pajamas via contact with his daughter during the pool body, school or basketball games in a process known as secondary transfer, but the prosecution destroyed. This theory, when it was confirmed, the ways had received the pajama top as a Christmas present a month after the pool body, the ways had had no physical contact with Pfennigs daughter since obtaining the closing the shirt had also
and machine washed prior to the school girls abduction, which would have removed any dna passed on via secondary transfer. The defense attempted to discredit the inmates who Fenech had allegedly confessed to asking one of them if they were lying to receive attention. The inmate, who had been diagnosed by a psychiatrist as having an anti social personality with a history of manipulative behavior, responded to the accusation in a hostile manner introducing concerns about Israel. I ability yet the same psychiatry too great, that this disorder would not impact the inmates ability to provide a reliable witness statement. The prosecution pointed out that the two confessions were provided entirely separate of one another with no opportunity for collusion between the two inmates. In addition, both had gone to police, with information about the confessions prior to pfennigs. Dna Match Bang found on the ways pajamas
The unique nature of the judge only trial allowed for multiple adjournments and various sittings, resulting in a trial that lasted for close to a year ending in July two thousand six day. Although Justice Mottled David, could not determine the exact circumstances of hell, a ways left her home the night she disappeared. He believed a forceful abduction would have almost certainly woken another family member. Therefore, he found it more likely that weighs was entirely out the window by someone she was familiar with thirty. Three years after ten year out Ways Bell went missing. Justice David delivered his verdict,
if the packed courtroom fighting data fanny to guilty for her abduction and murder. In an unusual move, Justice David implored the accused to lead authorities to the bodies of both children. He had been found guilty of killing. Louise Bell and Michael Black, saying his sentencing may or may not be affected by pfennigs cooperation in fulfilling this request, then the verdict was delivered and media release provided by the Bell family was ready outside the court by a detective who worked on the case, quote today's Verde to leave us feeling relieved and while it is a significant now come, it is not the end of this difficult journey. Apple love and ten year old daughter was taken from her own bedroom, a place where she should be safe in his. come home, words cannot describe the impact this has had on our lives today
I is the combination of a struggle to find answers for the ways. That is what makes today's decision so important. It is a small victory for the ways we would like to thank. You We want for the persistence and efforts in trying to return the ways to us and in prosecuting this matter. While today A significant milestone we want our daughter back, so I would appeal to anyone with information that might assist us in finding ways to come forward now for this afternoon's outcome is significant. It is only part of this terrible event we still want to be able to lay the ways to rest.
The bill family made clear. This would be the only statement that would be providing to the public. They also appealed for their victim impact statement to be suppressed from the media, red pfennigs sentencing amidst concerns, the publication of their feelings would cause unnecessary hardship to appease their request. The cord, a great the Bell family did not have to provide victim impact statements. They have not spoken publicly about the case since South astronomy and police confirmed that, despite the guilty verdict, the case would not be closed until the ways is remain
were recovered, detective superintendent does Bray. Quite I would appeal for anyone with information that might assist us to find her to search your conscience and to come forward now. It is time to do the right thing by the day if he sentencing on December six, two thousand sixteen Fanny had not accepted the judges invitation to reveal the location of the ways of microbes bodies upon delivering his sentence. Justice, Mottled David clarified. He was not punishing funding for failing to fulfil this role. West the thick committing the most evil of crimes. Quite the shock and anxiety that your offence caused the south. The striving community cannot be compared to the door
dress. There must have been suffered by the parents and family of the Ways Bell. The effect of my sentence, booby that you may certainly spend the rest of your days in jail data Fanny, was sentenced to thirty five years in prison with the upper wrong for them. Or of the waste bell in addition to the sentence he was already serving in relation to the matter of Marco Black. This broadly non parole jail time to sixty years. In May two thousand and eighteen pfennig appealed his conviction. voting to the argument that he's Dane. I could obtain accidently transferred to the ways is pajama top via contact with his daughter, his lawyer, poor children,. Argued, there was no evidence to confirm how the dna was placed on the victim's clothing and cold. The guilty verdict against his client legally unsafe and unsatisfactory
Charmin requested the day night be tested against convicted kidnapper running horns who had recently been sentenced to twenty two years in jail for abducting brutalizing and sexually assaulting to farm backpackers in SALT Creek in February two thousand, and sixteen like pfennig coins also had a german ancestry and had lived in proximity to the Bell residents. In the nineteen nineties, the appeal was denied and to Phoenix last sentence was upheld. News of Fenix conviction sparked shock across out the strategy, as residents reflected on the impact the case had on society over the past three decades. One of the ways his cousin spoke to me, media about how the tragedy had impact in his life. Despite being just six years, when his cousin went missing, he explained I grew up in the shadow of it on over protective with my children
of always had rollin shutters of always on the dog. You always just thought. How could someone do this help with someone get away with murder and you'd wonder if someone would come to take you as well, He sentiment was shared by countless others who grew up under the blanket of fear and paranoia created by the ways, is nineteen. Eighty three disappearance, which has been described as a turning point in which families became more conscious of locking made doors and windows and taking more stringent precautions to protect their children even within their own homes.
Deputy Police Commissioner, Grand Stevens, explained when a child is taken. We look at our own families and we wonder just how our sight, Farrah kids are, and we hope that something like this never affects our family who people we are close to. It cuts to the core of those basic principles that a man's high Missy's castle and you have a right to feel safe. There doktor Rollin Perry a criminology lecturer within the law. A faculty at the University of Adelaide spoke to into state newspaper the Sydney morning, Harold in nineteen eighty four and described the cultural shift. I noticed you not allied residents following
spate of crimes committed against children and things that occur throughout the state. Doktor Perry. Quite Adelaide was a relaxed open city in nineteen. Seventy three people left their cars on locked them straight and would leave their front doors on locked had not really was just a big country. Town in ten years there has been a considerable deterioration in the quality of life people happy. fearful defensive suspicious. I don't know anyone who goes to bed with the front door unlocked now. It's a change not a true rather than a change in the place. That is the saddest aspect. Had a light is changed, it has lost its innocence and once you lose it, it's lost forever.
the Potomac top intentionally placed by data Fenech on the front loan at under Bank Grove remains the only piece of dna evidence directly connecting him to the murder of Le Ways Bell. During a channel on television series, toddled city of EVIL, Nigel on an investigative reporter for Adelaide newspaper. The advertiser said quote: Aren't you can be a wonderful thing? The fact that it was funny came self that gave Palais such a vital piece of evidence way back in nineteen. Eighty three is extraordinary.
As of early two thousand and nineteen, the Ways Bell and Marco Black have never been found. The search for their remains continues.
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world series narrated by me that dives deep into case thirty five operation, mayan featuring interviews with family members and the late detective Steve Fulcher when a moral dilemma arises, you'll have the opportunity to put yourself in the detective shoes and ask yourself what would you have done. The detectives dilemma is available to stream for free only on Spotify, listen now for free. Only on Spotify.
Transcript generated on 2022-03-19.