A Florida man, Donald Michael Santini, has been apprehended in California, ending a nearly four-decade-long flight from justice. Santini was wanted for the 1984 strangulation death of 33-year-old Cynthia Ruth Wood in Hillsborough County, Florida. Wood's body was discovered in a drainage ditch on June 9, 1984.
Santini's fingerprints were reportedly found on Wood's body, and he was identified as the last person seen leaving her residence. He subsequently disappeared, potentially using aliases such as Charles Michael Stevens, Donald Chapman, and John Trimble while living in California.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office indicated that advancements in investigative technology played a crucial role in reopening the cold case and ultimately led to Santini's arrest. The case is now being actively reinvestigated with the benefit of modern forensic techniques.
Santini made a court appearance in San Diego County on June 9th and is currently awaiting extradition back to Florida to face charges related to the 1984 murder.
