SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Rhode Island man, Nicholas Rossi, was found guilty on Wednesday of sexually assaulting a former girlfriend, marking a significant development in a complex case involving allegations of faking his death to evade justice. The jury in Salt Lake County reached its verdict after a three-day trial focused on a rape that occurred in 2008. Rossi, 38, chose not to testify in his own defense, which may have influenced the jury's decision. Sentencing for this conviction is scheduled for October 20, while Rossi faces another trial slated for September concerning a separate rape charge in Utah County.

The case against Rossi began with an obituary that claimed he had died on February 29, 2020, from late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Doubts about his death were raised by law enforcement in Rhode Island, as well as by former acquaintances who believed he was alive. These concerns were validated when Rossi was arrested in Scotland after hospital staff recognized him from an Interpol notice while he was receiving treatment for COVID-19. This arrest took place in 2021, revealing that Rossi had indeed been evading justice for some time.

After his arrest in Scotland, Rossi began a lengthy legal battle over extradition. He claimed to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight, alleging that he was the victim of a set-up. Nonetheless, he lost his extradition appeal and was extradited to Utah in January 2024. This series of events led to the current trial, where the jury's decision serves as a pivotal point in the legal proceedings against him.

The trial saw testimony from Rossi's accuser and her parents, contributing to the jury's understanding of the case. With the conviction, the evidence of Rossi's actions and his subsequent attempts to escape responsibility has drawn significant media attention. The upcoming sentencing and the second trial both promise to maintain public interest in this unusual and troubling case.