Murder victim's partner asks for identifying evidence to be made available

With court experts still unable to confirm whether the bones found buried in a Birzebbugia field belonged to murder victim Matthew Zahra, the victim’s partner has requested that the court makes available a piece of evidence that could help her confirm that the remains actually belong to Zahra: one shoe that was unearthed during the discovery of the buried remains.

The request was upheld by a court this morning during the compilation of evidence against Jason Galea, 39, of Birzebbugia, and Ronald Urry, 49, of Paola, who stand accused of murdering taxi driver Matthew Zahra in 2012.

A bag of bones suspected of belonging to Zahra was unearthed in a field in Tal-Qajjenza in Birzebbugia – the same field in which the police found the bodies of Mario Camilleri, known as l-Imniehru, and his 21-year-old son Mario Jnr.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti, appearing in parte civile for the Zahra family, tabled the request, after DNA court expert Marisa Cassar told the court that while the bones match the DNA of the victim’s mother, Veronica Zahra, it is inconclusive as to whether these belong to the victim himself.

 “The mitochondrial DNA found in the bones matches that of Zahra’s mother, but as yet it can neither be confirmed nor excluded that that the bones belong to the victim’s siblings or cousins,” Cassar said.

Consequently, the court expert said, an elimination process between the victim’s siblings and cousins would have to be carried out for the court to confirm that the bones actually belonged to Zahra.

Dr Cassar, argued that Zahra is the only person unaccounted for from among his siblings and cousins.

Dr Stefano Filletti requested that the court carries out a genealogical test to distinguish between the relatives who are alive and those who are unaccounted for or dead.

 “An exclusion test must be carried out to distinguish between the family members who are alive and those who are either dead or unaccounted for. This would logically conclude that the bones belong to Matthew Zahra,” he said.

However, the Court decided that Cassar should continue examining the bones in order to extract a full DNA strand. Rather than carruing out an elimination test among the victim and his siblings, the DNA strand would instead determine whether the bones belong to Matthew Zahra.

Filletti also requested that the court makes a shoe allegedly belonging to Matthew Zahra accessible to the victim’s partner, as this would give her “psychological closure.”

“While the shoe would give some form of psychological closure to the victim’s partner, it is also the sole piece of evidence that the family could use to confirm that the bones actually belong to Matthew Zahra," he said. 

Also summoned was Fredrick Grixti, a payment official from Premier Cars Ltd from which the victim’s father, Vincent Zahra, had purchased a property and subsequently listed €30,000 as bills of payment on the name of Jason Galea.

Flanked by an officer, Galea heard the witness saying that after Matthew Zahra went missing in 2012, Premier Cars Ltd had phoned the victim’s father to settle the outstanding payments. The victim’s father however had told Grixti that he should contact Galea instead.

Galea – who previously declared that he had owed Matthew Zahra close to €500,000 in usury debts – informed Grixti that he had settled his payment with victim, and also warned Grixti against calling him about Matthew Zahra.

Lawyers Joe Giglio, Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri are appearing for the two accused, while Dr Stefano Filletti is appearing for the victim's family.

The case has been adjourned to 21 July.