After nearly four decades on the run, 65-year-old Donald Santini has been arrested and charged by police for murdering then-33-year-old divorcee Cynthia Wood in 1984.
In a press release, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in Florida said the fugitive had been detained at Orient Road Jail in Tampa early Wednesday morning (June 28) after being extradited from San Diego, California.
Santini became notorious after he appeared on the TV program "America's Most Wanted" three times.
The statement added law enforcement officials "have exhaustively worked on [his] case over the years," including the FBI.
Local NBC affiliate WESH 2 reported that Wood had met Santini at a daycare center. She was last seen leaving her house with him on the night of June 5, 1984.
"Santini was the last person seen with Wood before detectives discovered her body, strangled and left in a canal," the release continued. "He was identified as a suspect shortly after the murder. He fled Hillsborough County immediately."
Moreover, the arrest warrant for Santini alleged a woman told investigators he confessed to killing Wood and dumping her body, WESH 2 reported. However, by the time the warrant was issued, Santini had already left the county.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office also shared CCTV footage of Santini being booked in at the jail just after his arrest.
"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 Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.
Santini was also wanted in Texas for aggravated robbery. He also served jail time for raping a woman while stationed in Germany.
Police added the investigation regarding Santini's case is continuing.
