Convicted Rapist Dies After Stopping Medical Treatment
Nicholas Rossi, the 38-year-old man who faked his own death and fled to Europe to avoid rape charges in the United States, has died after being taken to a hospital from a Utah prison, authorities announced Friday.
Rossi died Thursday night from “complications of an existing medical condition after choosing to discontinue medical treatment,” according to Richard Piatt, a spokesperson for the Utah Department of Corrections. His victims and family were notified of his death.
Convictions and Extradition
Rossi was serving at least 10 years in prison in Utah after being convicted in 2025 in two sexual assault cases. He was extradited to Utah from Scotland in 2024, following a years-long international manhunt.
Utah authorities had been searching for Rossi when he was identified in 2018 through a decade-old DNA rape kit. Months after he was charged in that case, an online obituary claimed Rossi died on Feb. 29, 2020, of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, police in his home state of Rhode Island, along with his former lawyer and a former foster family, cast doubt on whether he was actually dead.
Arrest in Scotland
Rossi was arrested in Scotland the following year while receiving treatment for COVID-19. Hospital staff recognized his distinctive tattoos, including the crest of Brown University inked on his shoulder, although he never attended the university. Rossi insisted he was an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who was being framed. Investigators say they identified at least a dozen aliases Rossi used over the years to evade capture.
Health and Final Days
Piatt declined to disclose details about Rossi’s health problems, but during court appearances, Rossi had appeared in a wheelchair and used oxygen. His decision to discontinue medical treatment led to his death from complications of an existing medical condition.
