A man convicted of rape, who allegedly staged his own death to evade authorities in the United States, has been sentenced to jail. Nicholas Rossi, who has maintained his innocence for 17 years since the assaults, was arrested in Scotland 13 years after the crimes. Prior to his arrest, a false obituary claimed he had died from cancer.
Rossi, 38, was sentenced to five years after a judge in Salt Lake City heard about the impact of his crimes on the victims. One survivor expressed a desire for safety and accountability rather than vengeance. Prosecutors described Rossi as a danger to the community, using rape as a means of control.
During the trial, Rossi did not testify on his own behalf but continued to assert his innocence. He was convicted and sentenced for one of the assaults, with sentencing for the second attack scheduled for November.
It took over a decade for Rossi to be brought to justice, with authorities identifying him in 2018 through DNA evidence from a rape kit. Rossi was part of a group of rape suspects apprehended as Utah cleared its rape kit backlog. Despite claims of his death, he was recognized and arrested in Scotland due to his distinctive tattoos.
After a prolonged legal battle, Rossi was extradited to Utah in 2024. Throughout the process, he used multiple aliases to avoid capture. Despite his defense’s denial of the rape charge, Rossi was convicted in his first trial in Utah.