The first police officer on the scene when Adelaide schoolgirl Louise Bell disappeared found her bedroom window open and the flyscreen torn from its frame, a court has heard.
In the trial of Dieter Pfennig, who is charged with the murder of 10-year-old Louise, retired policeman Craig Warman has recounted what he saw that morning in Hackham West more than 30 years ago.
"It (the flyscreen) had been torn from the aluminium frame, all the way across the bottom to about three quarters of the way up," he told the South Australian Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Mr Warman, then an officer at Christies Beach, said Louise's parents were "distraught" when he and his partner arrived at about 6.30am on January 5, 1983.
Louise's disappearance sparked an extensive search over the following days.
"When I was on shift the whole staff would be out searching," Mr Warman said.
"My house was actually searched."
Louise's grade five teacher, Priscilla Grace, also gave evidence by video from New York and said the young girl was particularly well-mannered and shy.
"She was quite unique. She didn't want to go out and play with other children, she just loved helping me in the classroom," Ms Grace said.
"If I was out on yard duty she would come out with me and hold my hand and walk around."
Pfennig, 67, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Louise but prosecutors allege he admitted killing the girl to fellow prisoners while in jail for other crimes.
He was not originally a suspect but was charged in 2013 after DNA samples linked him to the case.
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