In a strange turn of events, a rape suspect accused of faking his own death has made his first appearance in a US court after being extradited from Scotland. Nicholas Rossi, the accused, was flown out of the UK a few weeks ago after a lengthy court battle revolving around his claim of mistaken identity. According to US officials, Rossi is charged with raping a woman in 2008 and is accused of orchestrating an elaborate plan to fake his own death, including setting up his own memorial service, before escaping to the UK.
During his appearance at a Utah court on Tuesday, Rossi adopted an apparent English accent, referring to the judge as “m’lady” and dismissing claims that he was using a false identity as “complete hearsay.” To further his act, Rossi spoke with a labored, breathy tone and relied on an oxygen mask for air. In an attempt to distance himself from the US, Rossi even provided his birth date in the British format, using the day first followed by the month, contrary to the customary US date format.
The 36-year-old suspect was initially apprehended when someone recognized him while he was seeking medical treatment for COVID in a Glasgow hospital in December 2021. Subsequently, Edinburgh Sheriff Court concluded that Rossi’s tattoos and fingerprints matched those of the wanted suspect featured on an Interpol notice. Disputing the evidence, Rossi claimed that an NHS employee had forcibly tattooed and framed him while he was unconscious. Furthermore, he insisted that he was an Irish orphan who had never set foot in America.
However, it soon became evident that Rossi had a history of changing his name multiple times within a short span of three years. In a previous incident, four years ago, he even went as far as falsely announcing his terminal illness, claiming to have non-Hodgkin lymphoma and only weeks to live. An online obituary subsequently declared his death on February 29, 2020. Throughout the protracted legal proceedings in Scotland, Rossi continuously dismissed his legal teams and represented himself in court, appearing in a wheelchair with an oxygen mask.
Judge Norman McFadyen, who presided over Rossi’s case, described him as “as dishonest and deceitful as he is evasive and manipulative” and approved his extradition last summer. After losing an appeal in December, Rossi was finally extradited to the US earlier this month. He will appear in court in Utah on January 26 and has been denied bail.
The astonishing case of Nicholas Rossi’s alleged rape and subsequent attempts to escape justice is a testament to the lengths some individuals will go to avoid facing their crimes. As Rossi’s perplexing court appearance and ever-changing narratives reveal, he is a master manipulator adept at deception. The upcoming court proceedings in Utah will undoubtedly shed more light on this convoluted case and determine the fate of the accused.