A suspect in one of Australia’s most chilling cold cases is expected to be back in the country after nearly half a century following his extradition from Italy.
Perry Kouroumblis, 65, was arrested earlier this year in Rome for his alleged involvement in the 1977 “Easey Street murders” after DNA advancements reignited police investigations into the killing of two young women in Melbourne.
Suzanne Armstrong, 27, and Susan Bartlett, 28, were murdered in their home on Easey Street in Collingwood. They were stabbed more than a dozen times, and Armstrong was sexually assaulted. Their bodies were discovered three days later, with Armstrong’s one-year-old son found unharmed in his cot.
Mr Kouroumblis, who has never been charged and denies involvement, came to police attention shortly after the murders when, as a 17-year-old, he claimed to have found a bloodied knife near the crime scene. He has remained a person of interest, but it was only in recent years that police, aided by advancements in DNA technology, focused their investigation on him.
He was arrested in September and the Italian government signed off on his extradition last month. His Italian lawyer, Serena Tucci, told the ABC he was “prepared to face trial in Australia”.
Mr Kouroumblis’s return to Australia marks a significant development in a case that has haunted the nation for decades. Footage on Seven News showed him boarding a plane for home in the presence of Victoria police homicide detective.
Victoria Police Commissioner Shane Patton described the crime as “an absolutely gruesome, horrific, frenzied homicide”. “For over 47 years, detectives from the homicide squad have worked tirelessly to determine who was responsible for the deaths of Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett,” he said.
“This was a crime that struck at the heart of our community – two women in their own home, where they should have felt their safest.”
The murders have remained a subject of public fascination, inspiring true crime books, a popular podcast, and a major police appeal in 2017, which included a reward of A$1m (£511,800) for information.
After Mr Kouroumblis’s arrest, the families of Ms Armstrong and Ms Bartlett expressed their gratitude to police. “For always giving us hope and never giving up, we simply say, thank you,” they said in a statement.
Mr Kouroumblis is expected to arrive in Australia late on Tuesday.
