Cynthia Wood murder suspect caught nearly 40 years after the murder

Donald Santini, 65, has been arrested for the alleged killing of 33-year-old Cynthia Wood nearly 40 years ago, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

He was arrested by the U.S. Marshals’ Fugitive Task Force in San Diego. Wood’s corpse was found in a water-filled ditch in Riverview, Florida, in June of 1984.

The victim was last seen with Santini five days before her body was discovered. According to authorities, the cause of her death was strangulation.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Santini was not seen since the murder. Police suspect he may have been living in Texas with an unknown identity.

“This arrest allows us to re-examine evidence collected in 1984 using the technology of today, as the case is now considered open once again,” said the Sheriff’s Office.