Nicholas Rossi, the American rapist who fled to Scotland after appearing to fake his own death to evade justice, has died in a US hospital. The 38-year-old was serving a jail sentence in Utah after being found guilty of raping two women in 2008 following two separate trials in 2024.
Death in Custody
The Utah Department of Corrections confirmed Rossi died at 8:32 pm on Thursday from complications of an existing medical condition, having chosen to discontinue treatment. Corrections spokesperson Richard Piatt stated that Rossi's victims and his family were notified of his death.
Background and Arrest
Once described by a judge as a "serial abuser of women," Rossi was serving 10 years to life for sexual assault. He had lived in Bristol before moving to Scotland and was arrested in 2021 on a COVID-19 ward at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. Hospital staff recognized him from an Interpol notice due to distinctive tattoos, including a red cross above an angel wing on his arm.
Legal Proceedings
Rossi initially claimed mistaken identity, insisting he was an Irish-born orphan named Arthur Knight who had never been to the US. A series of preliminary hearings followed, during which he fired at least six lawyers and alleged torture in prison. In November 2022, an Edinburgh sheriff court judge ruled he was Nicholas Rossi, and he was extradited to the US in 2024.
Faked Death
Utah authorities began searching for Rossi (legal name Nicholas Alahverdian) in 2018 after he was identified through a decade-old DNA rape kit. He was among thousands of suspects identified when Utah cleared its rape kit backlog. Months after being charged, an online obituary claimed Rossi died on February 29, 2020, from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, police in Rhode Island, his former lawyer, and a former foster family doubted his death.
Trial Details
In his first Utah trial, the court heard that in 2008, a victim recovering from a traumatic brain injury responded to a personal ad Rossi posted on Craigslist. They became engaged within weeks, but he grew hostile and raped her. She went to police years later after learning of another rape accusation. In the second case, a woman went to Rossi's apartment to collect money he stole from her for a computer, and he attacked her.
Prosecutor's Statement
After news of his death, Utah prosecutor Sim Gill said in a statement: "Mr Rossi was a sexual predator who tried to escape accountability. The survivors of his heinous acts have the consolation that he died in prison with the knowledge of the crimes he committed."
