November 18th 2024.
In the ongoing case of the Easey Street murders, the last steps of the extradition process for the prime suspect are set to occur in the next few days. This comes after the Italian government gave the green light for the process to proceed. According to Perry Kouroumblis' lawyer Serena Tucci, the move was authorized by Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio on October 30th, but the 65-year-old was only notified on Friday.
This decision brings him one step closer to being officially charged in Victoria for the alleged double murder of Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett in Melbourne back in 1977. Tucci stated, "So now the extradition is confirmed, okay. Now we are waiting for the [confirmation] of the judge of the Court of Appeal in Rome." She added, "And then the Australian police can take, come back with Perry in Australia."
Tucci shared that she anticipates the final approval from Rome Court of Appeal judge Aldo Morgini to be given in the coming days. Kouroumblis himself had given his consent to be extradited back in September, shortly after he was apprehended at Rome's Fiumicino Airport on an Interpol red notice. At the time, he maintained his innocence, as stated by his lawyer.
During their conversation on Monday, Tucci reported that the 65-year-old was "good" but "a little worried." Prior to his arrest, he had been residing in Greece, where he could not be arrested due to the statute of limitations, since leaving Melbourne in 2017 when he was a person of interest in the case.
On January 13, 1977, Armstrong and Bartlett, aged 27 and 28, were found deceased in their homes on Easey Street in Collingwood. Both had been stabbed multiple times, and Armstrong had also been raped. In the immediate aftermath of the discovery, Kouroumblis was found in possession of a knife. Although he was considered a person of interest, he was never formally charged.
As the case was reinvestigated, Kouroumblis agreed to provide DNA but ultimately fled to Greece. The last sighting of Armstrong and Bartlett alive was on January 10, 1977. When the women's bodies were found, Armstrong's 16-month-old baby was discovered unharmed in his cot. Tucci revealed that she was in regular communication with a lawyer representing Kouroumblis in Australia, but he preferred not to be identified at this stage of the proceedings.
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