TAMPA, FLA. (WSVN) - After evading capture for nearly four decades, a Florida man wanted for the 1984 murder of a woman in the Tampa area was arrested and extradited back to Florida.
According to officials with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Donald Santini, 65, was arrested in San Diego and booked into a Florida jail early Tuesday morning.
Santini had been wanted for the murder of Cynthia Wood, a 33-year-old woman who had been going through a divorce at the time.
Wood’s lifeless body was discovered in a canal after being strangled, and Santini was identified as a suspect shortly after the murder. However, he managed to elude authorities and fled Hillsborough County immediately.
For years, investigators relentlessly pursued leads, but Santini remained at large until recently when law enforcement successfully located him in early June.
“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,” 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.”
Santini, who appeared on the television show “America’s Most Wanted” in 1990, 2005, and 2013, has a criminal history that extends beyond the murder case. While stationed in Germany, he served time in prison for the rape of a woman. Additionally, he was wanted in Texas for aggravated robbery.
Charged with first-degree murder, Santini has been transferred to the Falkenburg Road Jail, where he will await trial.
The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in a long-standing cold case that has involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.
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