Global Courant
A man wanted for the 1984 cold case murder of a Florida woman was arrested in California this month after escaping capture for decades, authorities said Wednesday.
Donald Santini, 65, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Cynthia Wood, a then 33-year-old who is going through a divorce with her husband. Santini was the last person Wood saw before her body was discovered by authorities, strangled in a canal, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
“The arrest of Donald Santini ends a longstanding cold case and brings justice for the victim and her family after nearly four decades of waiting,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “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.”
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Donald Santini, 65, arrives at Orient Road Prison in Florida after being extradited from California to stand trial for the 1984 murder of Cynthia Wood. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
Santini almost immediately became a suspect in Wood’s murder and fled, investigators said.
FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED NEARLY FOUR DECADES AFTER COLD CASE MURDER IN CALIFORNIA
He somehow evaded capture for 39 years, despite appearing on “America’s Most Wanted” in 1990, 2005, and 2013.
Cynthia Ruth Wood, left, and Donald Michael Santini, right. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
The search for Santini took investigators far from Florida, with inquiry requests sent to Texas, California and Thailand. He also served time in prison while serving in the military in Germany for raping a woman, authorities said. He was also wanted in Texas for aggravated larceny.
Cynthia Ruth Wood and Donald Michael Santini (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
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Authorities finally caught up with him in San Diego, and he was extradited to Florida, arriving at Orient Road Jail on Wednesday.
