Perry Kouroumblis, a man wanted in connection with Melbourne’s infamous 1977 Easey Street murders, is set to return to the city after being extradited from Italy. The 65-year-old Australian-Greek national, suspected of the brutal stabbing deaths of Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Barlett, was detained in Rome in September following a flight from Greece.
Kouroumblis had lived in Greece since 2016, working as a welder, and could not be extradited from there due to a statute of limitations. However, Italian authorities arrested him upon his arrival in Rome under an Interpol Red Notice. He has been held in the Regina Coeli prison in Rome since September 19, while Italian courts reviewed the extradition request from Victoria Police.
The murder case, described by Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton as the state’s “most serious cold case,” involves the brutal killings of two women in their Collingwood share house on January 13, 1977. Suzanne Armstrong, 27, and Susan Barlett, 28, were found murdered, with Armstrong sexually assaulted and both women stabbed to death. Armstrong’s 16-month-old son was found unharmed in his cot.
The arrest follows a lengthy investigation by Victoria Police, and the families of the victims have expressed their grief, stating that their lives were “irrevocably” changed by the murders. The families have never been able to comprehend the senseless violence that took the lives of their loved ones.
Kouroumblis was flown back to Melbourne on a Qatar Airways flight from Rome and is expected to arrive in the city late on Tuesday evening. His Italian lawyer, Serena Tucci, stated that Kouroumblis was “surprised” by the arrest, as he had no idea that he could be stopped for an alleged crime dating back to 1977. Despite this, he complied with police instructions and is now preparing to face trial in Australia.
The long-awaited extradition marks a significant development in the decades-old case, offering hope to the families who have been seeking justice for nearly half a century.
