ALFRED — Kelly Gorham’s body showed no signs of an assault or external injuries after she was exhumed from a shallow grave in the woods of northern New Hampshire on Sept. 2, 2007.

It was not until medical examiners performed an autopsy two days later that investigators learned the 30-year-old nursing student had been strangled to death.

Dr. Thomas Andrew, testifying this morning at the murder trial of Gorham’s ex-fiance, Jason Twardus, told the jury that Gorham had internal bleeding and brusing in the muscles of her neck. The bruising was most extensive on her right side, Andrew said.

“The death was brought about by some sort of constriction or pressure put on the neck, strangulation,” Andrew testified.

Andrew said the lack of insect activity on the body suggested that Gorham had been buried “fairly soon after she died.” She was buried beneath two feet of earth on property owned by Twardus’ father in Stewartstown, N.H. But the doctor said he could not make an accurate estimation of how long the time was between death and burial.

Prosecutors allege Twardus strangled Gorham on the morning of Aug. 8, 2007, at her apartment in Alfred, then drove her body to Stewartstown. Twardus’ defense team claims there are two other potential suspects who could be responsible for Gorham’s death.

Defense lawyer Daniel Lilley was about to begin his cross examination of Andrew at 10:10 a.m.

The trial opened Sept. 13 and is expected to last at least through the end of this week at York County Superior Court.

 

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