Francis Kaufmann, a 46-year-old American accused of the double murder of his partner, Anastasia Trofimova, and their 11-month-old daughter, Andromeda, in Rome’s Villa Pamphili park, will be extradited to Italy following a June 27, 2025, ruling by the Court of Appeal in Larissa, Greece. Arrested on June 13, 2025, on the Greek island of Skiathos, Kaufmann, who used aliases like Rexal Ford and Matteo Capozzi, faces charges of aggravated voluntary homicide and concealment of a corpse. The decision marks a critical step in a case that has gripped Italy, with Kaufmann expected to arrive in Rome within days to face trial. This article examines the extradition, the case’s details, and ongoing investigations, drawing on sources like La Voce di New York, ANSA, and Il Sole 24 ORE.
Extradition Ruling and Timeline
On June 27, 2025, the Larissa Court of Appeal approved Italy’s extradition request for Kaufmann under a European Arrest Warrant (EAW), per ANSA and Agenzia Nova. Judicial sources indicate Kaufmann could arrive in Italy within 3–8 days, potentially by July 5, 2025, unless he appeals, which he had not done as of July 1, 2025, per Notizie in Controluce. Upon arrival, he will be notified of his arrest warrant, detained at Regina Coeli prison, and questioned within five days by a judge, with DNA samples collected to confirm paternity of Andromeda, per Adnkronos.
Kaufmann initially opposed extradition, reportedly calling Italians “mafiosi” and requesting a trial in the U.S., per Il Sole 24 ORE. His legal team argued for repatriation, citing a potentially favorable U.S. judicial process, but no U.S. extradition request was filed, per Vanity Fair Italia. The Greek court’s swift approval, facilitated by the EAW and a European Investigation Order (EIO), allows Italian authorities to access Kaufmann’s DNA, credit cards, and two cell phones seized during his arrest, per L’Unione Sarda.
The Villa Pamphili Murders
On June 7, 2025, the bodies of Anastasia Trofimova, a 28-year-old Russian-speaking woman, and her 11-month-old daughter, Andromeda, were found in Villa Pamphili, Rome’s largest public park, hidden among vegetation. The infant was strangled, her body found naked under a black plastic sheet, while Trofimova’s cause of death awaits histological results, with suffocation not ruled out, per L’Unione Sarda. Italian prosecutors, led by Deputy Giuseppe Cascini and prosecutor Antonio Verdi, charge Kaufmann with voluntary homicide aggravated by the victim’s minor age and concealment of a corpse, per Il Sole 24 ORE.
Kaufmann, Trofimova, and Andromeda had camped in the park for 15 days, visiting the San Silverio market for food and hygiene, per L’Unione Sarda. Investigators believe Trofimova was killed between June 3 and 4, 2025, as Kaufmann’s phone was turned off from June 4, per Il Sole 24 ORE. On June 5, Kaufmann was stopped by police near Largo Argentina, drunk, with Andromeda, presenting a U.S. passport under the alias Rexal Ford, issued in 2019, per ANSA. The next day, Andromeda was killed, and Kaufmann fled to Greece on June 11, traced via cellphone data and a credit card used for the flight, per La Voce di New York.
Kaufmann’s Background and Aliases
Kaufmann, a Californian with a history of five U.S. arrests for violence and assault, served four months in prison, per Notizie.it. Since 2019, he used a legitimate U.S. passport under the alias Rexal Ford, traveling through Malta, Russia, Iceland, and Greece, per Il Sole 24 ORE. In Malta, where he lived from 2023 to 2024, he obtained a residence permit and posed as a film producer under Tintagel Films, reportedly receiving €5,000–€6,000 monthly from his parents to stay abroad, per La Voce di New York. He met Trofimova in Malta in 2023, where Andromeda was born in June 2024, though no hospital records confirm the birth, suggesting a possible home delivery, per Il Sole 24 ORE.
Kaufmann’s film producer persona included pitching a €3 million project, Stars of the Night, securing €863,000 in Italian tax credits in 2020, which was never produced, raising fraud concerns, per Il Sole 24 ORE and X posts by @fratotolo2. On May 7, 2025, he visited a Roman production studio with Trofimova and Andromeda, and on June 5, sent an audio to an Italian friend claiming his “wife” left him for her ex, per L’Unione Sarda.
Ongoing Investigations
Italian authorities are probing several leads:
- Victim Identities: Trofimova, possibly a Russian-speaking Ukrainian who fled conflict in 2023, remains unidentified in Maltese records, where Kaufmann is listed as single and childless, per Il Sole 24 ORE. Autopsies at the Catholic University’s Institute of Forensic Medicine are pending to clarify causes of death, per Vanity Fair Italia.
- Evidence Search: Divers are searching the Tiber River for a black suitcase Kaufmann carried on June 10, potentially containing Trofimova’s belongings or electronic devices, per Vanity Fair Italia.
- Prior Incidents: Kaufmann was stopped by police three times in Rome (May 20, June 3, June 5), including after a violent altercation at a Starbucks on June 3, but was released each time, prompting an internal police review, per Il Post.
Public and Official Reactions
The case has sparked outrage in Italy, with X posts like @AngiKappa criticizing police for releasing Kaufmann despite prior incidents, suggesting Andromeda’s death might have been prevented. Others, like @eziamor, question the €863,000 tax credit granted under former Minister Dario Franceschini, per Il Sole 24 ORE. Kaufmann’s sister called him a “monster,” alleging he attempted to kill their brother, per Vanity Fair Italia.
Implications and Next Steps
Kaufmann’s extradition to Italy, expected by early July 2025, will lead to formal questioning and a trial for the murders. The case highlights issues of identity fraud, police oversight, and international cooperation, with the EIO facilitating evidence collection. If convicted, Kaufmann faces life imprisonment for aggravated homicide. Follow updates on www.ansa.it or X, and support victim advocacy groups addressing violence against women and children.