Francis Kaufmann, the man accused of killing his partner Anastasia Trofimova and their infant daughter Andromeda, broke his silence only to deny any involvement. Appearing today before the judges of the Larissa court in Greece, where he is being held, he exercised his right to remain silent, stating simply that he wishes to speak only after consulting with his lawyer and the American consulate. “I didn’t commit those crimes”, he said. Tomorrow, a hearing will be held to consider his possible extradition to Italy, where prosecutors have already issued a European Investigation Order requesting formal questioning.
For fifteen days, the three had camped under the trees of Villa Pamphili, sleeping in a tent and walking each day to the nearby San Silverio market to wash and find something to eat. Then, sometime between June 3 and 4, something broke. After a confrontation in a café in central Rome, Anastasia disappeared. The baby died shortly after. Their bodies were discovered in the park on June 7. Kaufmann remained in the city a few more days before boarding a flight to Greece on the 11th, where he was arrested shortly after.
While he maintains his innocence, his sister paints a far darker portrait: a violent and manipulative man, shaped by abuse, addiction, and deception. She claims he once tried to kill their brother, that his claims of being a filmmaker were fabricated, and that he routinely lied about his life with Anastasia and the child.
While Kaufmann insists he had no part in the killings, the timeline established by investigators — and the account given by his sister — suggest a different reality: a history marked by violence, a sudden disappearance, and too many unanswered questions. It is now up to the Greek judges to determine what comes next.
