Perry Kouroumblis to be charged with murder and rape in Easey St cold case
A suspect in Victoria’s “most serious cold case” is set to be charged with murder and rape after being extradited from Europe.
A man is set to be charged with the murder of two women after he was extradited from Rome to Australia almost 47 years after one of the country’s most notable cold cases.
Greek national Perry Kouroumblis arrived in Melbourne on Tuesday evening after being arrested in Italy last month over the 1977 murders of Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett.
Kouroumblis, 65, is an Australian-Greek dual citizen who had been living in Greece before being arrested by Interpol at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport.
Though Australia and Greece have an extradition treaty, Mr Kouroumblis was unable to be arrested due to a Greek law that charges need to be laid within 20 years of an offence being committed.
His public defender, Serena Tucci, told The Age that “he had no idea that there was a different law in Italy” and he was travelling for work reasons.
“He said he wants to come back to Australia and explain everything,” she said.
Police in Rome placed Mr Kouroumblis on a Qatar Airways flight to Doha, where he landed on Tuesday morning about 6am (AEST).
He touched down in Melbourne about 11.30pm Tuesday, with Today reporting that passengers on the flight were informed immigration would collect one of the passengers.
Mr Kouroumblis was the first person off the flight and was taken to police headquarters where he was able to sleep.
He is set to be questioned over the alleged murders on Wednesday before fronting the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed Mr Kouroumblis is expected to be formally charged with two counts of murder and one count of rape while in court on Wednesday.
Ms Armstrong, 28, and Ms Bartlett, 27, were stabbed in their home in what police describe as a “gruesome, horrific, frenzied homicide”.
Ms Armstrong was also raped, with police collecting DNA evidence at the time.
Ms Armstrong’s 16-month-old baby was left unharmed in a cot nearby, with neighbours only finding the young women days later after hearing his cries.
Mr Kouroumblis had lived nearby to the victims and was a 17-year-old student at the school where Ms Bartlett taught arts and crafts. He maintains his innocence.
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