Young Mother Found Dead With Throat Cut

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28258, 22 April 1957, Page 10

Young Mother Found Dead With Throat Cut

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, April 21. A young wife, the mother of five children, was found dead with her throat cut in the kitchen of her home at Morrinsville early yesterday afternoon. She was:

Mrs Georgina Rose Kelman, aged 23, of Thorpe street, Morrinsville.

Neighbours heard no cry for help, although the home is in a State housing area. Police have not yet made any arrest, but their inquiries are said to be “well advanced.”

The body was found by the Kelman children, the oldest of whom is six, at 2.40 p.m. Mrs Kelman was lying face-down on the linoleum floor of the kitchen, and a butcher’s knife was lying nearby. A neighbour, Mr C. C. Irwin, who was working on his car, heard a scream and a cry from the children. He rushed across to the Kelman house. Mr Irwin sought the assistance of another neighbour, Mr G. W. Browne, who telephoned the police. The children were immediately cared for in the homes of Mr Irwin and Mr Browne, and later by the Child Welfare Department. Mr Irwin said he believed the tragedy happened while the children were out of the house. They told him they had been sent to the store to buy sweets. Constable V. L. Bagge and Dr A. Westgate went to the house. Mrs Kelman’s body was found lying face-down with the hands folded underneath. The police took possession of a blood-stained knife with a sharp seven-inch blade set in a riveted hardwood handle.

An inquest was opened under Mr F. A. Pickett, J.P. The body was identified by Mr Irwin. Police Search Investigations were begun on the spot by Senior-Detective N. Thompson, of Hamilton, who is being assisted by police from Morrinsville and Hamilton. The police have stated that they wish to interview the husband, Mr William Raymond Kelman, who is missing. He is a butcher employed by the Garden Place Butchery, Hamilton. He previously worked for two Morrinsville butchers. Mr Kelman is aged 29, is about sft 6in in height, with sharp features and sandy hair. He may be wearing a light fawn -sports coat and brown, fawn or grey trousers. By last evening, a full-scale police search for Mr Kelman was under way. Today, radio descriptions were broadcast at regular intervals from most stations in the North Island. Ground parties were out in one district, while mobile police patrols combed roads over a wide area to the north-east of Morrinsville. Last evening, a police party made a surprise search of every carriage of the south-bound express at Frankton Junction. Mr Kelman was not on the train. Today, a close ground search was made of an area of rugged farm country along the Kurunui road to the south-west of Morrinsville. Several persons this morning reported seeing a man answering to Mr Kelman’s description in an area bounded by Ngatea, Thames, Waihi and Te Aroha. Identification was not certain.