A good neighbor. This is how the inhabitants of Campo, a small rural community of barely 3,000 inhabitants near San Diego, define Donald Santini -whom they knew under another identity-. They now know that he is one of the most wanted criminals in the country.
Donald Santini, of Florida, eluded police for 39 years and had created a new identity for himself as chairman of a local water board, local media outlet ABC 10News reported. Santini had been living under the name Wellman Simmonds in the small California town for years.
Santini, 65, disappeared from Hillsborough County in 1984 after being declared the prime suspect in the brutal strangulation murder of Cynthia Ruth Wood, whose body was found dumped in a canal. According to reports at the time, the two were romantically involved and Santini was the last person Wood was seen with alive.
Under his new identity, Santini regularly participated in public meetings as president of the water authority in his new place of residence. His name appeared in several public agendas of municipal affairs and he led a public life with total normality.
Finally, the U.S. Marshals of the Fugitive Task Force apprehended him a few days ago. Santini himself detailed parts of his life in a letter sent from prison to ABC 10News: "The reason I have been able to run so long is to live a loving respectful life," he says in his text.
The search for Santini, who appeared on " America's Most Wanted" in 1990, 2005 and 2013, finally resulted in his arrest four decades later. "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 Sheriff Chad Chronister. "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."
🔒EXTRADITED🔒
At 3:03 a.m. on June 28, 2023, Donald Santini, 65, arrived at the Orient Road Jail after being arrested and extradited from San Diego, CA.
Santini was wanted for the 1984 murder of Cynthia Wood, a then 25-year-old going through a divorce with her husband. Many… pic.twitter.com/djVQNqrwLW
— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) June 28, 2023
