Suspect Extradited from Italy in Connection with Notorious 1977 Melbourne Murders

Perry Kouroumblis, a 65-year-old suspect in the 1977 murders of Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett, has been extradited from Italy to Australia. The case gained renewed attention due to recent DNA testing, entrenching the investigation into one of Australia’s most infamous cold cases.

A man wanted for his alleged involvement in one of Australia’s most notorious unsolved murder cases has been extradited from Italy. Perry Kouroumblis, linked to the 1977 Easey Street murders in Melbourne, is set to arrive back in Australia following his detention in Rome. The gruesome murders of Susan Bartlett, 28, and Suzanne Armstrong, 27, have haunted the nation for decades.

The women were found brutally stabbed in their home, with Armstrong’s one-year-old son discovered unharmed in his cot. Kouroumblis, now 65, surfaced as a suspect only recently, thanks to breakthroughs in DNA testing. He has not yet been charged with any crime but he asserts his innocence.

The case initially drew police attention just days after the killings when Kouroumblis, then 17, reported finding a bloody knife at the crime scene in Collingwood, a suburb of Melbourne. Describing the crime as "absolutely gruesome," Commissioner Shane Patton highlighted the impact of the murders on the community, where two women were attacked in what should have been their safest space.

In a push for justice, Victoria Police had previously offered a A$1 million reward for information leading to a breakthrough in the case. When Kouroumblis was arrested, he had evaded police efforts for several years, residing in Greece where legal limitations hindered his apprehension.

Upon learning of Kouroumblis's arrest, the families of Armstrong and Bartlett expressed their lingering pain, stating that the violent nature of the crime had forever altered their lives. They extended their gratitude to law enforcement for their perseverance throughout the decades-long quest for justice.