Man charged with 1981 murder of woman found dead in cupboard
A man appeared in court today accused of killing a woman 35 years ago.
Aug 10, 2016
By Nick Hudson
A man appeared in court today accused of killing a woman 35 years ago.
Mother-of-two Nova Welsh, 24, was found dead in a utility cupboard at flats in Lighthorne Avenue, Birmingham, on August 18, 1981.
A post mortem revealed she died from pressure to the neck.
Osmond Bell, 59, from Handsworth, was remanded in custody on Wednesday (August 10) after a brief appearance at Birmingham Magistrates Court. He is due again before Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (August 12).
Close friend and neighbour Lorna Edwards was the last person to see Miss Welsh alive.
She was missing for about a month before her body was found.
Ms Edwards told police at the time that her friend had not asked her to look after the children the night she disappeared as she was going out and “taking them to their fathers”.
Ms Edwards did not hear from her again despite phoning her repeatedly.
She became especially alarmed when she noticed washing still hanging out on the line, which was a trigger for her to call the police.
At her inquest, Birmingham Coroner Richard Whittington ruled that Miss Welsh had been killed unlawfully.
But there were no further arrests and her killer remained at large.