Rape Suspect Who Faked Death Discovered After Being Identified by Tattoos

A man who reportedly faked his own death after being accused of rape in Utah, has been discovered in the U.K. according to a Scottish judge.

Authorities in the U.S. are seeking the extradition of Nicholas Rossi, 35, on two counts of rape and one of indecent assault.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court concluded he fled the U.S. after the allegations. He adopted the persona of an Irishman named Arthur Knight upon arriving in the U.K., claiming to have never been to the U.S.

Sheriff Norman McFadyen said: "I am ultimately satisfied on the balance of probabilities, by the evidence of fingerprint, photographic and tattoo evidence, taken together, supported by the evidence of changes of name, that Mr. Knight is indeed Nicholas Rossi, the person sought for extradition by the United States."

Rossi was arrested in October 2021 at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where he had checked himself under his false name.

Police officers Shannon McGill and Jamie Crombie identified Rossi based on his tattoos, images of which were included in an Interpol Red Notice.

During the hearing Rossi claimed the tattoos had been added while he was "comatosed" in hospital, and that his fingerprints only matched those on the Interpol warrant because they were taken by an NHS employee, who sent them to a corrupt official in Utah.

Sheriff McFadyen rejected both claims as "implausible and fanciful."

McFadyen added: "It seems to me highly suspicious that the change of names went through a number of permutations. That seems to me consistent with someone who was hiding from someone or something."

Rossi appeared to cry during the hearing, and described the conditions he faced in U.K. prison as "challenging and dystopian."

Rossi's wife Miranda, who attended the court hearing, continues to maintain he is the victim of mistaken identity.

Rossi is expected to face extradition proceedings next year, as U.S. authorities seek his return to face criminal charges.

Speaking to the BBC, one of Rossi's alleged victims, identified only as Mary, said: "If I'm being honest, I hoped he was dead."

Mary claimed Rossi sexually assaulted her at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, after they met for the first time.

She added: "It was almost like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde kind of thing.

"The impression and personality he was giving me [before the attack]—it was a very kind one."