Authorities in California say a man from Scotland was arrested in Colorado on suspicion of rape, a charge for which investigators say he attempted to evade by faking his own death.
According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Marshals Service took custody of 55-year-old Kim Vincent Avis, a Scottish citizen who also goes by Ken Gordon-Avis, after he was located in Colorado Springs earlier this month.
Investigators believe his 17-year-old son filed a fake police report of the suspect’s disappearance, pointing to inconsistencies and holes in the teen’s story. That complaint was filed in February and alleged Avis was diving into the water at Monastery Beach in Monterey when he vanished.
Though the son did not face any criminal charges related to his report, he has since been sent back to Scotland in conjunction with social workers in the U.S.
Back home near Edinburgh, Scotland, Avis was reportedly a suspect in two dozen rape counts, prompting American law enforcement to consider those charges in the missing persons investigation.
Police Scotland confirmed in a statement that it is “aware of reports from the USA regarding Kim Gordon or Avis and is liaising with the relevant authorities.”
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[Featured image: Kim Vincent Avis, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office via AP]
