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Nicholas Rossi Gets 5 Years to Life for 2008 Utah Rape After Faking Death and Fleeing to U.K.

The indeterminate term begins immediately under Utah law, with a parole board to decide his release.

Overview

  • He was sentenced in Salt Lake City for one of two 2008 rapes, with a separate sentencing set for November 4 in the Utah County case.
  • Rossi was identified in 2018 when DNA from a long-untested rape kit matched his profile during Utah’s effort to clear its backlog.
  • Prosecutors and the judge described him as a serial abuser and extreme flight risk after he allegedly staged a 2020 obituary and used aliases, including the name Arthur Knight.
  • He was arrested in a Glasgow hospital in 2021 when staff recognized his tattoos from an Interpol notice and was extradited to Utah in January 2024 after a prolonged legal fight.
  • Rossi maintained his innocence at sentencing and said he will appeal as victims delivered impact statements about lasting trauma, with a restitution hearing scheduled for January 8.