Justice: Louise Bell's father finally learns who murdered his little girl
Thirty-three years after Louise Bell was snatched from her bedroom, a Supreme Court judge found Dieter Pfennig guilty of murder.
Her parents wept and embraced in the packed courtroom as the judge urged Pfennig to reveal the location of the 10-year-old's body and that of his other victim, Michael Black, to put an end to the "ghastly saga".
“Today is the culmination of our struggles to find answers for Louise... while today is a significant milestone, we want our daughter back,” Louise Bell’s father said in a statement read by Detective Sergeant Anthony Van Der Stelt.
The result was a welcome relief for Louise’s family but not the closure they were seeking.
Prosecutors relied on DNA they say was transferred from Pfennig to Louise Bell’s pyjamas, which were discovered on a neighbour's lawn after her 1983 disappearance through the window of her Hackham West bedroom.
Two inmates who said Pfennig confessed Louise's murder to them had their claims rejected by the judge.
Pfennig, who is already serving a 38-year sentence for the murder of Michael Black and sexual abuse of another boy, remained stone-faced when the guilty verdict was read out.
Michael Black’s family told 7 News they are not confident Pfennig will ever reveal his secrets.
“We’ve come to the decision that he will never reveal where the children’s bodies are,” Margaret Black said.
Pfennig has always denied killing Louise Bell and Michael Black.
“I still don’t know how I got convicted of something I haven’t done," he said.
He will now serve a second life sentence and it is likely he will die in jail.
