Perry Kouroumblis, 65, has spent his first night in an Australian prison after being formally charged with the 1977 murders of Suzanne Armstrong, 28, and Susan Bartlett, 27, in Melbourne’s Collingwood.
Kouroumblis faces two counts of murder and one count of rape over the brutal killings, which left the victims with over two dozen stab wounds. Armstrong’s 16-month-old son was found unharmed in his cot.
The murders, which occurred between January 10 and 13, 1977, had remained unsolved for nearly five decades. Kouroumblis, who was 17 at the time, is accused of raping Armstrong during the same period.
He was extradited from Italy on Tuesday, December 3, after being arrested in Rome in September.
At Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, December 4, Kouroumblis appeared bleary-eyed following hours of police interviews. He was remanded in custody and will return to court for a committal hearing in February. Kouroumblis maintains his innocence.
Outside court, the victims’ family members expressed mixed emotions. Suzanne Armstrong’s sister, Gayle, shared her relief, saying she was “ecstatic” that the accused had been charged. She also noted she gave Kouroumblis “a dirty look” in court.
Martin Bartlett, Susan’s brother, said the families hoped for closure after nearly 50 years.
Kouroumblis, a dual Australian-Greek national, had lived in Greece until 2016. A 20-year statute of limitations had prevented his arrest until his travel to Italy allowed for extradition.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton called the murders “gruesome” and one of the state’s most serious and prolonged cold cases.
