Orsmans Statements Told in Murder Trial-This Day in Norwood History-May 11, 1933

This Day in Norwood History – A Chilling Courtroom Clash as the Orsmans Accuse Each Other in the Murder of Nellie Keras

In a dramatic and unsettling turn in one of Norwood’s most haunting criminal cases, the trial of Alli Orsman and Ahmed Orsman resumed today in Norfolk Superior Criminal Court, where—for the first time—it was revealed that the two men had accused one another of the murder of 9‑year‑old Nellie Keras. The child’s body, discovered on Christmas Day in a burlap bag hidden beneath a woodpile in a Norwood cellar, has remained the tragic center of a case that continues to grip the community.

Presiding over the proceedings was Judge Harold Williams, as the Commonwealth presented testimony that shed new light on the days immediately following Nellie’s disappearance.

The Missing Child Report

Norwood Police Sergeant Thomas Lydon took the stand and recounted the earliest hours of the investigation. He testified that on Christmas night he received the initial missing‑child report—from defendant Ahmed Orsman himself.

According to Lydon, Ahmed provided a description of the clothing Nellie had been wearing when last seen. But when Lydon spoke with him again the following day, the tone had changed sharply. Lydon testified that when he asked Ahmed whether he had seen the child, Ahmed responded:

“What do I care about Nellie Keras!”

Lydon said he pressed further, asking whether Ahmed had searched for the missing girl. Ahmed’s reply, according to the sergeant, was equally startling:

“No. Why should I look for her? I’m no cop.”

By Tuesday, Lydon testified, he confronted Ahmed directly, telling him:

“You know where Nellie Keras is.”

Ahmed denied it, replying:

“Honest I don’t know. If I did I would tell you.”

Lydon said he arrested Ahmed shortly afterward, noting at the time that Ahmed had three scratches on his right cheekbone.

A Second Arrest — And More Scratches

Later that same afternoon, Lydon went to the Dean Street residence and arrested Alli Orsman. He testified that Alli, too, bore an injury—a scratch over his left eye.

It was during the transport of both prisoners to Dedham Court for their first arraignment that the most explosive exchange occurred. Lydon testified that on December 19, he heard fellow officer Sgt. William Barrett say to one of the men:

“You killed that girl, didn’t you?”

According to Lydon, Alli immediately responded:

“No, he killed her!”

To which Ahmed shot back:

“No, he killed her. He told me he did!”

The courtroom absorbed the revelation in tense silence—this was the first time the public learned that the two defendants had directly accused each other of the crime.

The Discovery of the Burlap Bag

The Commonwealth then called Patrolman J. S. Conroy, the first witness of the day. Conroy testified that he visited the Orsman home shortly after Christmas and saw the woodpile where the child’s body was later found. He admitted he did not examine the pile at that time and therefore could not say whether the body was already present during his visit.

Medical Examiner Dr. Arthur S. Hartwell followed, testifying that he arrived at 5 p.m. on December 29 at 29 Oolah Avenue, where he found the burlap bag lodged within the woodpile. He ordered its removal and identified photographs showing the exact position in which the bag had been discovered.

Under questioning by Assistant District Attorney E. R. Dewing, Dr. Hartwell described the autopsy he later performed with Suffolk Medical Examiner Dr. Magrath. He testified that Nellie’s death was caused by:

• Strangulation of the thorax from external pressure, and
• Hemorrhages beneath the skin of the neck and at the heart

The medical findings reinforced the prosecution’s assertion that the child had been violently killed before being hidden beneath the woodpile.

Blood Evidence Presented

The Commonwealth next called George E. Bolling, City Chemist of Brockton and a blood expert. Bolling testified that blood spots found on Ahmed Orsman’s trousers were less than eight days old. He also examined a suitcase belonging to Alli Orsman, finding additional blood spots.

During cross‑examination by Attorney J. M. Eoyle, representing Alli, Bolling acknowledged that the first smudge he noticed on the suitcase cover was lipstick, not blood. However, he maintained that the spots found on the interior lining were indeed blood.

More Testimony to Come

The day’s proceedings were expected to continue with testimony from Dr. Magrath, whose autopsy findings would further detail the injuries sustained by the young victim.

As the trial moves forward, the town of Norwood watches closely, still shaken by the brutal death of a child and the disturbing spectacle of two defendants pointing the finger at one another. The courtroom drama unfolding in Dedham promises to remain one of the most somber and closely followed chapters in Norwood’s criminal history.

Original Article- The Boston Globe- 11 May 1933