Kamberidis Will Serve 18 Years in Greek Prison

NASHUA, NH – Accused murderer Steven Kamberidis may have slipped through the cracks and escaped U.S. prison by fleeing the country back in 1991, but justice has finally caught up with him.

An international manhunt spanning two decades and 5,000 miles ended Feb. 5 when Kamberidis was arrested by Greek authorities and swiftly convicted in Greek court of second-degree murder in the death of his 2-year-old stepson James Chartier in Nashua.

He was sentenced to serve 18 years in Greek prison.

On Friday, local, state and federal authorities held a brief press conference at Nashua Police headquarters, along with several family members of the victim, to relay that information.

In what FBI Special Agent Kieran Ramsay called an "unprecedented" case, U.S. and Greek authorities cooperated to bring Kamberidis to justice.

Kamberidis was a citizen of Greece at the time of his arrest back in 1989. He was sentenced in 1991 to serve 30 years to life in U.S. prison, a sentence that was never carried out.

When asked about the disparity in the sentencing between the United States and Greece, Ramsay said, "it is what it is," adding that NH and U.S. officials are pleased that he is serving time.

Senior Assistant Attorney General Jane Young said that since the time of Kamberidis' escape, the search for him was tireless.

"Since that time the state, the federal government, the local police and thereafter, the international police made it their mission to bring him to justice. And while in this case at times people may have thought justice was delayed, the efforts of the law enforcement community have certainly showed that justice was not denied for James or for his family," Young said.

Family members of the child filed into the news conference and sat quietly. Only the boy's uncle, Tim Grover, spoke briefly, expressing the family's relief – and enduring sadness – over the loss of the child.

"May James – our baby, our son, brother, nephew and grandson – rest in peace," Grover said.

Nashua Police Chief John Seusing confirmed that New Hampshire law enforcement officials were aware of Kamberidis' whereabouts for the past "15 years or so."

Ramsey offered few of the kinds of details that satisfy the time and space that had passed since Kamberidis' disappearance. 

He confirmed that Kamberidis was remarried and living freely in Greece all these years.

"Yes, essentially he was living freely – although what kind of anxiety level he may have had relative to this, or what he disclosed to his new wife, I can't say. But from what we knew about his activity, he was living and working freely in Thessaloniki, Greece," Ramsay said.

He could not elaborate on when or how Kamberidis fled the U.S., or whether he will ever be successfully extradited back to the United States to serve out his sentence here.

"The biggest question remains unanswerable: Will he ever be extradited to the U.S. We all hope for it, but I don't want to negate or diminish that the Greek government cooperated so extensively to give us this unprecedented result," Ramsay said. 

The FBI released the following statement in advance of a Friday afternoon press conference at Nashua Police Headquarters.

Steven Kamberidis, 45, fled New Hampshire in 1991 to avoid sentencing for the murder of his two-year old stepson, James Chartier. He has been convicted of the crime by a Greek Court and sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.

Kamberidis was apprehended in Greece by the Hellenic National Police in February 2013, following tireless efforts by New Hampshire authorities, the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, Department of Justice, the U.S. Embassy in Athens, and the Department of State.  The Athens Criminal Court subsequently affirmed his conviction for the murder of James Chartier and on April 29, 2013, the Court sentenced Kamberidis to 18 years imprisonment.  Extensive collaboration between U.S. and Greek authorities in sharing the facts of the original investigation and the charging and court documents from New Hampshire was instrumental in Kamberidis’ conviction in the Athens Criminal Court. 

After spending more than two decades on the run, Kamberidis capture and conviction in Greece underscores the tenacity of the New Hampshire law enforcement community to ensure that justice was served for James Chartier. We deeply appreciate the cooperation of the Greek authorities, in particular the Greek Ministry of Citizens Protection, the Ministry of Justice and the Hellenic National Police, in pursuing the case.

CASE HISTORY - On November 19, 1989, Steven Kamberidis was arrested by members of the Nashua Police Department and charged with second degree murder for the death of his stepson, James Chartier, age two.  Kamberidis was released on $50,000 bail with the conditions that he reside with his parents, that he be employed, and that he report to the probation department monthly.

Kamberidis’ trial began on May 13, 1991 in Hillsborough County Superior Court, Manchester, New Hampshire.  While the defendant appeared at trial that day, he failed to appear on May 14, 1991.  The jury began its deliberation on May 14th and on the following day found the defendant guilty of second degree murder for the death of James Chartier.  On October 18, 1991, the Court sentenced Kamberidis in absentia to the New Hampshire State Prison for 30 years to life. 

After Kamberidis failed to appear at his trial, the Court issued a warrant for his arrest.  On May 16th a complaint charging Kamberidis with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in a violation of Title 18, United States Code, §1073, was filed by the FBI, in cooperation with the Nashua Police Department, in the United States District Court, District of New Hampshire.

Related Story, May 9, 2013: After 20 Years on the Lam, International Fugitive Captured