Suspect in ‘America’s Most Wanted’ case arrested after 40 years for 1984 murder.

A Decades-Long Manhunt Ends: Alleged Killer Arrested After 40 Years on the Run

In a stunning turn of events, Donald Santini, a man who had evaded capture for nearly four decades after allegedly murdering a Florida woman in 1984, has finally been apprehended. The 65-year-old fugitive had managed to remain free despite being featured three times on “America’s Most Wanted.” However, his luck ran out when he was captured last week in California and extradited back to Florida.

“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. 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,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said, according to USA Today.

In June 1984, Cynthia Ruth Wood, a 33-year-old divorcee living in Florida, crossed paths with Santini. He had promised to assist her in gathering information about her ex-husband, which she believed would help her win custody of her children. Tragically, Wood met with Santini on June 6, 1984, to discuss the case, but she vanished without a trace. Her lifeless body was discovered three days later in a water-filled ditch, and an autopsy revealed that she had been strangled.

Pamela Lynn Kincaid, an acquaintance of Santini, came forward to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office detectives and revealed that Santini, using the alias Charles Michael Stevens, had confessed to killing Wood. Further investigation uncovered that Stevens was just one of three aliases Santini had used prior to Wood’s death.

Santini’s criminal history included a rape conviction in 1978 while serving in the U.S. Army in Frankfurt, Germany. Upon returning to his home state of Texas, he faced charges of aggravated robbery for a convenience store heist. After his release, he relocated to Longboat Key, Florida, assuming the identity of Charles Michael Stevens and working as a janitor. It was there that he crossed paths with Kincaid, eventually moving in with her. Coincidentally, Kincaid’s children attended a daycare center where Wood worked as the manager.

Wood had taken legal action against her ex-husband, Barry, accusing him of physical abuse towards her and her son from a previous marriage. Additionally, she was embroiled in a bitter custody battle with Barry over their two children, which is what initially drew Santini’s attention and led him to offer his assistance.

Following Wood’s death, the charges against Barry were dropped, and Santini vanished for nearly 14 years, adopting at least 13 different aliases to avoid capture. However, on June 7, almost four decades after Wood’s disappearance, Santini was finally apprehended in San Diego, California, thanks to a tip from the Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. U.S. marshals swiftly tracked him down, and he was subsequently transported to Hillsborough County Jail.

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