Nicholas Rossi, a 37-year-old American fugitive, faces the possibility of spending the remainder of his life in prison following a DNA match linking him to an alleged rape from 16 years ago. This development occurred in a Utah court on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, seven months after his deportation from Scotland.
Rossi, originally from Rhode Island, the smallest US state by area, had constructed an elaborate false identity as Arthur Knight, claiming to be an Irish orphan and academic residing in Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. His deception unraveled in January 2024 when a judge, dismissing Rossi's claims, ordered his deportation to the United States to face rape charges in Utah.
The recent court hearing revealed that Rossi's DNA matched evidence from a 2008 rape case. Judge Derek Pullan stated, "Based on the facts disclosed... the court does find probable cause to believe that the defendant Nicholas Rossi committed the offence of rape as charged." This case involves allegations that Rossi lured a 21-year-old woman to his home after meeting her on MySpace, a popular social networking site in the mid-2000s.
This is not the only charge Rossi faces in Utah. He is also accused of raping a 26-year-old woman in November 2008, whom he allegedly met online. These cases highlight the increasing risks associated with online dating platforms since the early 2000s.
Rossi's criminal history includes a 2008 conviction for sexually assaulting Mary Grebinski, a community college student in Ohio. Following this conviction, he was added to the US National Sex Offender Registry, established in 2006. In an attempt to evade justice, Rossi fled to Scotland, traveling through Dublin, London, Essex, and Bristol.
The fugitive's capture in 2021 occurred in a COVID-19 ward in Scotland, amidst the global pandemic declared by the WHO in March 2020. His subsequent court appearances were marked by bizarre behavior, including wearing various unusual outfits and claiming to have converted to Orthodox Judaism while in Scottish custody.
If convicted of the rape charges, Rossi could face a life sentence. Utah's sentencing guidelines recommend 15 years to life for defendants with prior sex crime convictions. Rossi maintains his innocence in all cases.
"Based on the facts disclosed... the court does find probable cause to believe that the defendant Nicholas Rossi committed the offence of rape as charged."
This case underscores the importance of DNA profiling in solving cold cases, a technique first developed in 1984. It also highlights the challenges of international manhunts and the complexities of extradition processes, governed by treaties such as the UK-US Extradition Treaty of 2003.