A jury in Utah has begun hearing its first trial against a man accused of faking his own death to avoid prosecution for rape.
The defendant, Nicholas Rossi, also known as Nicholas Alahverdian, is on trial for an alleged 2008 assault involving a woman he briefly dated while she was recovering from a traumatic brain injury.
Prosecutors say the relationship began after the woman replied to a Craigslist personal ad.
It quickly became serious, with her covering expenses for dates, his rent, and engagement rings. She told the court the relationship later turned abusive and controlling.
She testified that one evening, following an argument in a parking garage, Rossi stopped her from leaving.
Later at his apartment, she said he held her down and forced sex while she was frozen with fear.
Rossi denies the allegation. His defense argues the claim is rooted in resentment and weakened by the long passage of time and lack of physical evidence.
They compared the case to an incomplete puzzle missing vital pieces.
The jury is aware Rossi has used several identities, including the alias “Arthur Knight” in Scotland, but the judge has restricted details about his faked death and lengthy extradition process to reduce bias.
Rossi was arrested in Scotland in 2021 while receiving treatment for COVID-19.
Authorities allege he had been living under a false name as part of a broader plan to escape justice. He was extradited to the U.S. in early 2024 after a legal battle.
He faces a second trial next month in another Utah district over a separate 2008 rape accusation.