A key suspect in Australia’s infamous Easey Street murders of 1977, Perry Kouroumblis, has been extradited from Italy, marking a major development in the decades-long cold case that has gripped the nation.
The victims, Suzanne Armstrong, 27, and Susan Bartlett, 28, were brutally stabbed to death in their Melbourne home.
The murders, characterized as “gruesome and frenzied” by Victoria Police Commissioner Shane Patton, left the nation in shock, especially as Ms. Armstrong’s one-year-old son was found unharmed in his cot at the scene.
The 65-year-old was taken into custody in Rome in September following DNA breakthroughs that redirected police investigations.
The dual Greek-Australian citizen, who has denied involvement, is expected to land in Australia late Tuesday to face questioning.
Kouroumblis first came to the attention of authorities shortly after the murders when, as a 17-year-old, he reported discovering a bloodied knife near the crime scene on Easey Street in Collingwood.
However, he did not become a prime suspect until recent advancements in forensic technology provided new leads.
The murders of Armstrong and Bartlett, described as close high school friends, shocked the Collingwood community and beyond.
Both women had been stabbed over a dozen times, and Armstrong was reportedly sexually assaulted.
Their bodies were discovered three days after their last sighting, igniting widespread fear and speculation.
The case has since inspired police appeals, true crime books, and even a hit podcast.
In 2017, Victoria Police offered a $1 million reward for information that could crack the case.
Kouroumblis had been living in Greece before moving to Italy. Despite an Interpol red notice issued against him for two counts of murder and one of rape, Greek law prevented his arrest due to a 20-year statute of limitations for murder charges.
His arrest in Italy was made possible under international cooperation laws.
The families of Armstrong and Bartlett, in a statement following the September arrest, expressed gratitude for the persistence of Victoria Police. “For always giving us hope and never giving up, we simply say, thank you,” they wrote.
Kouroumblis’s extradition reignites hopes for justice in a case that has haunted Australia for nearly five decades.
Authorities are expected to question him extensively, with a focus on the DNA evidence that brought him back under suspicion.
Commissioner Patton emphasized the impact of the case, stating, “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.”
