TAMPA, Fla. (NewsNation) — The cold case of Florida murder suspect Donald Santini has come to a close after nearly four decades.
Donald Santini, 65, who appeared several times on “America’s Most Wanted,” was charged with first-degree murder and booked into a Hillsborough County, Tampa jail early Wednesday morning. Santini has been on the run since June 1984.
“The arrest of Donald Santini brings closure to a long-standing cold case and provides justice for the victim and her family after nearly four decades of waiting,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “Let’s not forget the tireless work that has gone into this case over the years, the resources and expertise to pursue justice for Cynthia Wood.”
Santini was arrested June 7 in San Diego, California before being returned to Tampa to face charges. His charges are in connection to the strangling death of 33-year-old Cynthia Ruth Wood.
Wood’s body was found in a ditch three days after she went missing, and Santini was the last person seen with her. The arrest warrant said a medical examiner determined she had been strangled, and Santini’s fingerprints were found on her body.
Santini’s appearances on “America’s Most Wanted” were in 1990, 2005 and 2013. Officials have said Florida detectives sent lead requests to Texas, California and even as far as Thailand.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.