Man Who Faked His Death to Evade Rape Charges to Stand Trial in Utah

Ibrahim Shehu Adili

3 months ago

In a case that has captured international attention, a Utah judge has ruled that Nicholas Rossi, a man accused of faking his own death and fleeing the United States to avoid rape charges, will stand trial. This decision was made on Thursday by District Judge Barry Lawrence during a preliminary hearing in Salt Lake City, confirming that prosecutors had provided sufficient evidence to proceed to a jury trial.

Contents

1 Background of the Case
2 Arrest and Extradition
3 Additional Allegations
4 Legal Defense and Upcoming Trial

Background of the Case

Nicholas Rossi, 37, is accused of raping a 26-year-old former girlfriend in Salt Lake County in 2008 after an argument. In a separate incident, he allegedly raped a 21-year-old woman in Orem, Utah, the same year. Due to a backlog in DNA testing at the Utah State Crime Lab, Rossi was not identified as a suspect for nearly a decade.

Rossi, who has used multiple aliases over the years, including claiming to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight, allegedly faked his death in 2020 to escape justice. An online obituary reported that Rossi died on February 29, 2020, from late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, authorities and his former foster family doubted the legitimacy of his death.

Arrest and Extradition

Rossi’s deception unraveled in 2021 when he was arrested in Scotland after being recognized at a Glasgow hospital where he was receiving treatment for COVID-19. Following a series of legal battles, Rossi lost an extradition appeal in December 2023 and was eventually brought back to the United States to face charges.

Additional Allegations

In addition to the Utah cases, Rossi is facing accusations of sexual assault, harassment, and possible kidnapping in several other states, including Rhode Island, Ohio, and Massachusetts. These allegations paint a disturbing picture of a man who has left a trail of criminal activity across the country.

Legal Defense and Upcoming Trial

Rossi’s attorneys from the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association have not publicly commented on the latest developments. However, the upcoming trial is expected to draw significant media attention due to the sensational nature of the case and the international manhunt that led to Rossi’s capture.

As Rossi prepares to stand trial, the legal system will finally have the opportunity to bring justice to the victims who have waited over a decade for resolution. The trial will not only examine the specific allegations against Rossi but also the lengths to which he allegedly went to avoid accountability for his actions.

For more information, you can read the original report on Nine News

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