Easey Street murder suspect Perry Kouroumblis extradited to Australia

The man accused of the horrific murder of two Melbourne women in 1977 is on a flight back to Australia from Rome to face charges.

For nearly 50 years, the infamous Easey Street killings baffled detectives, but in September they finally arrested Perry Kouroumblis in Rome over the slaying of Suzanne Armstrong, 28, and Susan Bartlett, 27, in January 1977.

The women, both aged in their 20s, were found dead with multiple stab wounds, while Ms Bartlett’s 16-month-old son Gregory was found unharmed in his cot.

The slayings were dubbed the ‘Easey Street killlings’ and became one of Australia’s long-running cold cases. 

Mr Kouroumblis was 17 at the time and denies any part in their deaths. 

He left Australia for Athens in 2017, but it was at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport that he was detained as a result of an Interpol red flag on September 19.

Since then he was been held in Rome’s Regina Coeli jail awaiting extradition.

The now 65-year-old has been seen boarding a Qatar Airways flight bound for Melbourne on Tuesday, escorted by police.

Reports described him as docile on the plane, taking advantage of a meal service and watching movies

Mr Kouroumblis was photographed being escorted onto the waiting flight, dressed in a black jumper and glasses, with grey hair and a beard.

Reports described him as docile on the plane, taking advantage of a meal service and watching movies.

The flight landed in Doha at 6am AEST and began a 13-hour leg trip to Melbourne, which is due to land on Tuesday evening.

In 2017, detectives relaunched their investigation and offered a $1million reward. As part of the new effort, they asked Mr Kouroumblis for a DNA sample.

He allegedly agreed, but then left Australia for Athens. Instead, police reportedly took a sample from a family member, which they claim was a match.

Greek law did not allow him to be extradited from Greece due to the historic nature of the alleged crime, which is why the Interpol alert was placed in his name, and he was arrested in Rome.

Mr Kouroumblis allegedly agreed to give a DNA sample, but then left Australia for Greece

Australia shares an extradition treaty with Italy. 

Italian police had reportedly been warned by their Australian counterparts that Mr Kouroumblis would fly to Rome.

They set up a special operation to monitor passengers arriving from Greece. 

The family of Mr Kouroumblis have suggested he was lured to Rome from Athens by the prospect of a business deal. 

It would have been ‘near-on impossible’ to extradite the dual Australian-Greek national from Greece, a source said.  

The extradition comes after years of investigation in one of Australia’s longest-running cold cases. 

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said in September that the Easey Street alleged murders had always been a priority for Victoria Police.

‘This struck at the heart of our community – two women in their own home, where they should have felt their safest,’ Mr Patton said.

‘While we still have some way to go, this arrest is an important breakthrough.’