Man accused of faking his own death and attempting to avoid rape charges found guilty
Aug 11, 2025, 12:39 PM | Updated: Aug 13, 2025, 9:32 pm
FILE: Nicholas Rossi is brought into his preliminary hearing in 4th District Court on Aug. 27. (Andrew Brown)
(Andrew Brown)
SALT LAKE CITY — A jury trial began in Salt Lake County for Nicholas Rossi, a man accused of faking his own death, changing his name, and moving to Europe to avoid rape charges in Utah. On Wednesday, Rossi was found guilty of rape.
KSL’s previous reporting follows:
Nicholas Rossi is accused of sexually assaulting a woman he briefly dated in 2008. Court documents say the woman reported it to police in 2022 after seeing Rossi on the news when he was fighting extradition from Scotland, where he moved and was going by the name Arthur Knight after he allegedly faked his own death.
He was identified through a DNA rape kit in that case several years later.
After years of investigation and a legal battle to bring him to Utah, Nicholas Rossi was wheeled into court on Monday to stand trial for the alleged rape of his ex-fiancée in 2008.
Rossi arrived in court in a wheelchair, connected to an oxygen tank and dressed in a suit and tie.
All 10 jurors were seated, heard opening arguments and then heard testimony from the woman who claims Rossi raped her 17 years ago. She was the first witness called to the stand after the jury took their oath, and each side gave its opening arguments.
Rossi stayed silent and kept his eyes on her as she battled tears, telling the court he assaulted her in his bedroom after she tried to break things off with him.
Rossi is expected to stand trial for separate rape charges in Utah County in September.
Contributing: Michelle Lee
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