EXTRADITION OF FRANCIS KAUFMANN APPROVED

Larissa, Greece – The Court of Appeal in Larissa, Greece, has approved Italy's request for the extradition of Francis Kaufmann, the U.S. citizen accused of the double homicide that occurred on June 7 at Villa Pamphili in Rome. In that incident, Anastasia Trofimova, 23, and her 11-month-old daughter Andromeda were found deceased. If Kaufmann does not appeal, he could arrive in Italy as early as next week.

Kaufmann, known in the film industry by the alias Rexal Ford, is currently detained in Greece, where he was apprehended just days after the tragedy. During a video-link hearing, attended by both Greek and Italian magistrates, Kaufmann exercised his right to remain silent, limiting his statement to a declaration of innocence: "I will only speak after consulting my lawyer and the American consulate."

Suspicions of Double Homicide and the "Tax Credit" Issue

The Rome Public Prosecutor's Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Anastasia and baby Andromeda. Following the autopsies, further histological examinations have been ordered to clarify the cause of death. The most likely hypothesis is suffocation, but investigators are not ruling out other scenarios.

Meanwhile, the central anti-crime directorate has acquired and forwarded to the Rome Prosecutor's Office documentation related to public funding obtained by Kaufmann from the Italian Ministry of Culture. This amounts to over €800,000 granted as a cinematic tax credit for the "Stelle della Notte" (Stars of the Night) project, submitted through his company Tintangel Films LLC and the Italian co-production Coevolutions srl.

The Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, personally oversaw the delivery of the documents to the investigators, accompanying judicial police officers to the headquarters of the Directorate General for Cinema.

Kaufmann's Dark Past

Beyond the murder accusations, an unsettling personal and professional profile of Kaufmann is emerging. Kaufmann's sister, Penelope, gave an interview to the newspaper La Repubblica in which she accused him of fraud and violence. "The screenplays he tried to sell were mine. He deceived so many people, including me," she recounted, adding that her brother allegedly attempted to kill one of their family members in the United States. "He changed his name to escape. He is violent, especially when he drinks or does drugs. We were all terrified of him."

Next Steps

Kaufmann still has the option to appeal the Greek court's decision. In the meantime, the Italian judiciary is tightening its grip on a case that has shocked public opinion. The case remains open, pending the arrival of forensic results and the eventual extradition of the accused to face trial in Italy.