A 65-calendar year-aged California fugitive who eluded authorities for virtually 4 a long time just before his arrest in June has been sentenced to 50 many years in prison for killing a Florida woman.
Donald Santini pleaded responsible to next-diploma murder in a offer with prosecutors to keep away from a initially-degree murder demand. Circuit Decide Samantha Ward authorized the deal prior to issuing the sentence in Tampa on Thursday, the Tampa Bay Occasions noted. The scenario had been set to go to demo in two months.
“Fantastic luck,” the choose informed Santini, who has been in jail without having bond considering the fact that his arrest in June at his property near San Diego.
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Santini, whose fingers have been cuffed in front of him, replied.
Ahead of his arrest, Santini experienced lived in California beneath the title of Wellman Simmonds. He was president of a local h2o board in Campo, a very small suburb of San Diego, and he regularly appeared at public board conferences.
The existence he experienced constructed in California came to an finish thanks to a idea from the Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. That led U.S. marshals to Campo, where Santini was taken into custody.
In 1984, Santini was acknowledged as Charles Michael Stevens, which was an alias he applied to outrun a warrant for a criminal offense dedicated in Texas. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s officials claimed he employed at least 13 aliases in excess of the decades.
Prosecutors, who were being organized to current new facts about the scenario to jurors, reported Santini was the very last individual to be observed with Cynthia “Cindy” Ruth Wood, 33, on June 6, 1984, and her system was discovered in a water-stuffed ditch three times later on.
Assistant Condition Attorney Scott Harmon explained throughout Thursday’s listening to that Wood instructed buddies and associates she was likely on a day on June 5, 1984, and neighbors later on instructed investigators they noticed a van parked in her driveway.
Harmon stated a lady who was in a relationship with Santini explained to investigators that he borrowed a van to go on the day.
“He recommended that he was taking her on a day to make certain she was intoxicated and then drop her in front of a police station,” Harmon said.
A witness advised investigators that Santini experienced mentioned the relatives of Wood’s partner paid out him to get damaging character proof, which could be made use of in a custody battle in excess of the couple’s young little ones.
Santini told the girl the next morning that he’d killed Wood and dumped her physique, Harmon claimed.
“That witness would have been in a position to identify the defendant,” Harmon claimed.
Just after the hearing, Hillsborough Assistant Public Defender Jamie Kane declined to comment on the scenario.
