Rossi, fugitive who faked death, found guilty in Utah assault

A Salt Lake County jury found Nicholas Rossi guilty of a 2008 assault in Utah, marking a rare prosecution of a fugitive who faked his death and fled the United States to avoid charges. The three-day trial concluded with Rossi, 38, declining to testify in his own defense. He now faces sentencing on Oct. 20 for the first-degree felony assault and is scheduled to stand trial in September for a separate assault in Utah County. The verdict underlines Utah’s ongoing efforts to clear a backlog of untested assault kits and to bring suspects in long-past cases to account, regardless of how long ago the crime occurred.

During the trial, the accuser and her parents testified about a whirlwind relationship that began after she answered a personal advertisement Rossi posted online. The survivor described being asked to pay for dates, cover Rossi’s car repairs, lend him money to avoid eviction, and take on debt to purchase engagement rings after the couple became engaged within about two weeks. She also testified that the relationship grew hostile, culminating in an incident in which Rossi allegedly raped her in his bedroom after driving her home. She said she did not report the assault at...