Bones found near ‘Imniehru’ graves definitely Matthew Zahra’s

A court expert has definitively identified the remains recovered from the scene of a 2012 murder as belonging to taxi driver Matthew Zahra.

Forensic expert Dr Marisa Cassar was testifying during the compilation of evidence against Ronald Urry and Jason Galea, who are accused of Zahra’s murder.

Galea is also accused in a separate case of murdering his brother-in-law Mario Camilleri and his nephew Mario junior, in the same field almost exactly a year later.

Cassar told Magistrate Josette Demicoli was charged with the examination of human remains recovered from the Birzebbugia field where the men were alleged to have been murdered.

She extracted a DNA profile from the bones and has today confirmed in court that the profile which emerged in all of the human remains, was genetically that of the son of Matthew Zahra’s parents and therefore that of Matthew Zahra. 

Zahra’s remains had been found whilst police were investigating the murder of Mario Camilleri, known as l-Imniehru, and his son Mario, who had been murdered and buried in August 2013 and whose remains had also been found in the same field.

Galea is also facing charges for the wilful homicide of the Camilleris, whom he is thought to have murdered to wipe out his considerable debts with both the father and son.

As the expert informed the court that four bones were still to be examined, lawyer Stefano Filletti, appearing in parte civile for the victims’ families, requested that the expert be allowed to conclude her tests so as to provide closure to the families as well as to exclude the presence of other victims.

The report will be exhibited in court towards the end of this month.