The decades-old mystery surrounding the murders of Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett takes a significant turn as suspect Perry Kouroumblis is extradited back to Australia following modern DNA breakthroughs.
Extradition in Cold Case: Man Linked to 1977 Murders Returns to Australia
Extradition in Cold Case: Man Linked to 1977 Murders Returns to Australia
Perry Kouroumblis, a key suspect in the infamous Easey Street murders, is extradited from Italy nearly 50 years after the tragic events shocked Australia.
A pivotal development in one of Australia’s most notorious cold cases has unfolded as Perry Kouroumblis, a man linked to the infamous 1977 Easey Street murders, is being extradited from Italy back to Australia. The case involves the brutal slaying of 28-year-old Susan Bartlett and 27-year-old Suzanne Armstrong, who were found stabbed to death in their Melbourne residence, leaving the nation gripped by the tragedy for nearly five decades.
Since the murders, police have been on the hunt for leads, and recent advances in DNA testing have made Kouroumblis a focal point in the investigation. At 65 years old, he was detained in September in Italy, where he had been living for several years, and he is expected to arrive back in Australia late on Tuesday. Notably, Kouroumblis maintains his innocence and has not yet been formally charged.
Kouroumblis initially came under police scrutiny shortly after the attack when, then a 17-year-old, he claimed to have discovered a blood-stained knife near the crime scene in the Collingwood suburb of Melbourne. The murder victims, previously high school friends, were found three days after they were last seen alive. In a harrowing detail, Armstrong's one-year-old son was discovered unharmed in his cot at the scene.
Authorities have described the murders as an "absolutely gruesome, horrific, frenzied homicide," profoundly impacting the victims' families. In recognition of the ongoing efforts to solve the case, Victoria Police had previously offered a reward of A$1 million for information leading to an arrest, highlighting the public's enduring interest.
Following Kouroumblis’s arrest in Rome, police issued an Interpol red notice for him, detailing charges of two counts of murder and one of rape. However, his initial arrest in Greece was stymied due to local laws that require that murder charges be filed within a 20-year window following the crime.
The families of the murdered women expressed their long-standing grief and addressed law enforcement with gratitude for their persistence in pursuing the case. In their statement, they remarked on the irrevocable changes that the violent deaths brought to their lives and commended the police for their unwavering dedication.
