A decide in Florida has ordered a 65-year-old California fugitive held with out bond in reference to the demise of a lady almost 40 years in the past.

Donald Santini was arrested by U.S. marshals in California final month, and extradited to Florida. He had used at the least 13 aliases over time.

Santini was the final individual seen with 33-year-old Cynthia “Cindy” Ruth Wood. The arrest warrant stated a health worker decided she had been strangled, and Santini’s fingerprints had been discovered on her physique.

“You being on the run for almost 40 years is a consciousness of guilt. You knew you were running from something,” Judge Catherine Catlin informed Santini throughout a listening to in Tampa on Thursday.

Photos taken within the courtroom confirmed Santini weeping earlier than the decide denied bond.

Wood’s stepdaughter, Denise Kozer informed the Tampa Bay Times she’s hoping to search out closure in a case that resulted in “total devastation” for her household.

Back in 1984, Santini was referred to as Charles Michael Stevens, which was an alias he used to flee a warrant in Texas. At the time of his arrest, he was dwelling below the title Wellman Simmonds in Campo, California, which is in southeastern San Diego County. He served on the native water board.

“He has a wife and children in California, and I feel sorry for them because they probably didn’t know, either,” Kozer stated. “But they’re all still alive. Our lives were devastated, changed forever.”

Kozar informed the Times that each Barry Wood and the older son of Cindy Wood had died for the reason that slaying, and her youthful half-siblings have suffered from psychological well being points since their dad and mom’ deaths.

She informed the newspaper she’s spent years realizing that the person who destroyed her household has been free. The case has been featured on “America’s Most Wanted” a number of occasions.

Wood met with Santini, who had known as her with guarantees of offering details about her husband, Barry Wood, that would presumably assist her win custody of their two youngsters, who had been 3 and 5, based on earlier reviews by the Bradenton Herald. Wood additionally had a son from a earlier relationship. Kozar was Barry Wood’s daughter from one other marriage.

Kozar, who was 20 when Wood was killed, stated she hopes Santini doesn’t get one other probability to flee.

“If they need extra evidence, we’re willing to let them exhume the body - whatever it takes to make sure that he doesn’t go anywhere,” Kozer stated.

Santini’s lawyer requested the decide for bail. But prosecutors famous that Santini killed Wood after fleeing a cost in Texas associated to a comfort retailer theft.

The decide didn’t want additional proof.

“You are the definition of flight risk,” the decide informed Santini in the course of the listening to. “There is nothing I can do to preserve the safety of this community if I was to let you go.”

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