Kaufmann’s Online Searches for Daughter’s Placement Revealed in Villa Pamphili Murder Trial
Rome, March 17 – In a dramatic turn in the Villa Pamphili double murder trial, evidence presented in court revealed the desperate online searches conducted by Francis Kaufmann, the Californian man accused of killing his partner, Anastasia Trofimova, and their 11-month-old daughter, Andromeda. The searches, made on Kaufmann’s smartphone, indicate his attempts to find solutions for the care of his daughter in the days following Trofimova’s death.
Extensive Searches for Infant Care and Adoption
The prosecutor’s consultant detailed Kaufmann’s search history, which included queries about social assistance communities for newborns, the possibility of putting a child up for adoption, the necessity of travel documents for a minor to journey by bus from Rome to Milan, where to find a stroller, and the potential for free air travel for a child. These searches were conducted in the immediate aftermath of Anastasia Trofimova’s murder, for which Kaufmann is also accused.
According to the consultant, these child-related searches ceased on June 7, the day Andromeda’s body was discovered among the bushes of Rome’s large Villa Pamphili park. A single, brief reference to a Disney video titled “The Cowboy Needs a Horse” was found the following day, remaining in the browser’s frequently viewed history.
Flight Plans and Family Contact
Following the discovery of Andromeda’s body, Kaufmann shifted his online focus to finding the cheapest and most efficient ways to leave Italy. His searches included destinations such as Dublin, Portugal, France, and Greece – where he was eventually arrested – possibly as a stopover en route to Miami.
During this period, he contacted his family in the United States, requesting money for travel and falsely claiming that “Anastasia has left with Andromeda.” He also began monitoring Italian news websites for reports about himself before fleeing to Skiathos, where he had also explored job opportunities.
Witness Testimonies and Procedural Delays
The court hearing, which was expected to include testimonies from the last individuals who saw Kaufmann with his daughter, was partially postponed. This delay is due to a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation to determine Kaufmann’s fitness to stand trial. All proceedings that would allow him to directly counter the merits of the case have been deferred until the evaluation report is submitted.
In the interim, individuals who discovered the bodies of the two victims in the park provided their accounts. “We were taking a walk and saw something in the bushes; it looked like a doll, they make them so lifelike these days. We couldn’t see the face, but I remember it was unclothed, and what made us suspicious was that it was covered in insects. We called the police, and upon their arrival, we discovered it was a little girl,” they recounted.
Upcoming Hearing and Defense Strategy
The next hearing is scheduled for mid-April, where the court will address the doubts surrounding Kaufmann’s mental state, as requested by his lawyer, Paolo Foti. Kaufmann faces charges of double voluntary homicide and concealment of a body.
The ongoing trial continues to uncover the tragic sequence of events surrounding the deaths of Anastasia Trofimova and her infant daughter, Andromeda, shedding light on the accused’s actions in the critical days that followed the initial crime.
Source: https://roma.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_marzo_16/villa-pamphili-cosi-kaufmann-provo-a-liberarsi-della-figlia-le-ricerche-su-adozioni-e-case-famiglia-prima-dell-omicidio-ccd356c8-edee-4a41-901b-c2e65fb53xlk.shtml
