Nicholas Rossi, the American convicted of rape who staged his own death to escape prosecution in Scotland, has died in a US medical facility. The Utah Department of Corrections confirmed the 38-year-old had been dealing with significant, long-term health issues. A spokesperson stated that Rossi passed away on Thursday after choosing to stop his medical treatment.
Rossi was convicted in 2024 following two separate trials for raping women in Utah in 2008. He was sentenced to two consecutive terms ranging from five years to life imprisonment. He had initially fled to Scotland in 2021 to evade authorities, but was captured in a Glasgow hospital ward. Staff recognized him from an Interpol notice due to his unique tattoos. Despite being identified, he insisted he was an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight and unsuccessfully attempted to maintain this facade throughout his extradition process in Edinburgh.
Following a 2023 ruling that his identity claims were entirely fictitious, he was extradited to the United States in January 2024. During his time in Scotland, he frequently appeared in court using a wheelchair and an oxygen mask, which authorities dismissed as a performance to avoid legal consequences. After arriving back in Utah, he eventually acknowledged his true identity during a court proceeding before his convictions were secured later that year.
