Nicholas Rossi: Catching the US fugitive who ‘faked his own death’

When a man was found seriously ill in a Glasgow hospital in December 2021, he claimed to be an Irish orphan called Arthur Knight.

But over time, a bizarre case began to unfold. It transpired that ‘Mr Knight’ was in fact Nicholas Rossi, a wanted American sex offender who faked his own death and fled to Scotland to evade justice.

Despite his pleas about being a victim of mistaken identity, a Scottish sheriff ruled he was indeed Rossi and that he can be extradited to the United States.

The BBC’s Steven Godden explains what we know about this extraordinary case.

Video by Morgan Spence, Graham Fraser and David MacNicol

2 August 2023

Explore More