The man accused of abducting and murdering Louise Bell in 1983 has left behind a trail of evidence over the past three decades, the prosecution has told the Supreme Court.
The 10-year-old was taken from her Hackham West bedroom in January 1983 and her body has never been found.
Dieter Pfennig is on trial after being accused of her murder.
DNA found on the girl’s pyjama top, which was left on a neighbour’s front yard shortly after her disappearance, allegedly matched to Pfennig when it was tested decades later.
During her closing address to Justice Michael David, prosecutor Sandi McDonald said the case against Pfennig amounted to a lot more than the DNA evidence.
“Three decades ago Louise Bell was taken from the bedroom in the middle of the night in circumstances surrounded by mystery,” she said.
Dieter Pfennig, 1990
"What no one knew back then was that from this very moment this person started to leave a trail behind, a trail that continued over three decades.
"That trail was in how he behaved, what he did, what he said and what he left behind him."
Ms McDonald said all the evidence on the prosecution case pointed to Pfennig.
"All of these pieces together, layer upon layer, led to the person who had taken her and that person, of course we say, is Dieter Pfennig."
'Killer taunted police'
She said the killer had taunted police by leading them to evidence through phone calls he made to a neighbour.
Ms McDonald said it may remain a mystery how Louise was taken from her bedroom where her sister was also sleeping with her parents nearby.