Perry Kouroumblis was apprehended in Rome over the 1977 murders of Susan Bartlett and Suzanne Armstrong, which took place on Easey Street in Collingwood, Victoria.
At the time of the murders, Kouroumblis was notably identified as the individual who discovered the murder weapon. His arrest marked a significant development in a case that has remained unsolved for over half a century.
Conflicting reception has been received from the family and friends of Kouroumblis as the news broke of the detained’s identity.
Speaking from his home in Greece, Kouroumblis’ estranged cousin Periklis Kouroumblis branded him a “jerk” with a “difficult character.”
According to The Age, the “problem boy” reportedly spent his teenage years breaking into homes, stealing jewellery and drifting in and out of youth detention.
These sentiments were in stark contrast to those by friend Phil Akers who spoke to Kouroumblis almost every day for about 10 years when the man lived next door to his business in Dandenong.
According to ABC News, Akers said “When I heard the news, you could have knocked me off the chair with a feather. I was dumbfounded.”
“I don’t think he’s capable of murder… Anything is possible, but I never saw any aggression in him at all,” Akers added.
“We used to go out fishing together on the boat and just sit there, have a beer and throw some fish, and he was a good fisherman.
“I don’t recall him having a big circle of friends… but he’s just an ordinary bloke.
“I don’t think he was secretive. He wasn’t eccentric in any way, but he lived his own life.”
