Cynthia Ruth Wood, left, and Donald Michael Santini, right. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
Cynthia Ruth Wood was 33 when she was strangled to death and her body dumped in a water-filled drainage ditch in June 1984. Nearly 40 years later, police have the man accused of her murder in custody.
Donald Michael Santini, 65, was arrested as a fugitive on Wednesday by law enforcement in San Diego County, California. During a court appearance on Friday, he waived extradition back to Hillsborough County, Florida, where he has had a warrant out for his arrest since Wood’s body was found in Riverview, south of Tampa.
“I happened to look down and see the feet first,” Susan Thurlow, who discovered the woman’s body, told Tampa-based NBC affiliate WFLA. “Just looked up, and you could tell the body was bloated.”
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According to the HCSO, Wood was last seen leaving her residence with Santini five days before her corpse was discovered.
“The suspect has not been seen since this incident and may be in the state of Texas using an unknown identity,” the sheriff’s office notes in an “Unsolved Homicides” page about the 39-year-old cold case.
“We are aware of this arrest and have sent detectives to interview Santini while we await extradition,” the sheriff’s office said in a recent statement sent to multiple local media outlets. “This arrest allows us to reexamine evidence collected in 1984 using the technology of today, as the case is now considered open once again. While that process is underway, we want to protect the integrity of the investigation and can not release any further details.”
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Before his arrest, Santini lived in the Golden State under an assumed name.
An arrest warrant obtained by WFLA says that Santini also went by the aliases of Charles Michael Stevens, Donald Chapman, and John Trimble. The judge overseeing the hearing addressed this issue.
“Good morning Mr. Santini,” the judge reportedly said. “My understanding is you are admitting you are Donald Santini. Is that correct?” After the defendant answered in the affirmative, the judge sought to make sure, saying: “And you are the person that is wanted in the state of Florida. Is that correct?” Again, Santini said he was.
According to the warrant obtained by Tampa-based ABC affiliate WFTS, Santini’s fingerprints were found on Wood’s body.
The defendant reportedly expressed concern for his safety upon his return to the Sunshine State, according to WFLA.
“You’re willing to waive your right to contest the extradition,” the judge asked. “Is that correct?”
“I do,” Santini replied. “I just don’t feel safe because of the families.”
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The investigative steps that led to the defendant’s arrest have not been made public.
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