TAMPA, Fla. (AP) 鈥 A judge in Florida has ordered a 65-year-old California fugitive held without bond in connection with the death of a woman nearly 40 years ago.
Donald Santini was arrested by U.S. marshals in California , and extradited to Florida. He had used at least 13 aliases over the years.
Santini was the last person seen with 33-year-old Cynthia 鈥淐indy鈥 Ruth Wood. The arrest warrant said a medical examiner determined she had been strangled, and Santini鈥檚 fingerprints were found on her body.
鈥淵ou being on the run for almost 40 years is a consciousness of guilt. You knew you were running from something,鈥 Judge Catherine Catlin told Santini during a hearing in Tampa on Thursday.
Photos taken in the courtroom showed Santini weeping before the judge denied bond.
Wood's stepdaughter, Denise Kozer told the she's hoping to find closure in a case that resulted in 鈥渢otal devastation鈥 for her family.
Back in 1984, Santini was known as Charles Michael Stevens, which was an alias he used to flee a warrant in Texas. At the time of his arrest, he was living under the name Wellman Simmonds in Campo, California, which is in southeastern San Diego County. He served on the local water board.
鈥淗e has a wife and children in California, and I feel sorry for them because they probably didn鈥檛 know, either,鈥 Kozer said. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e all still alive. Our lives were devastated, changed forever.鈥
Kozar told the Times that both Barry Wood and the older son of Cindy Wood had died since the slaying, and her younger half-siblings have suffered from mental health issues since their parents鈥 deaths.
She told the newspaper she鈥檚 spent years knowing that the man who destroyed her family has been free. The case has been featured on 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Most Wanted鈥 several times.
Wood met with Santini, who had called her with promises of providing information about her husband, Barry Wood, that could possibly help her win custody of their two children, who were 3 and 5, according to previous reports by the Bradenton Herald. Wood also had a son from a previous relationship. Kozar was Barry Wood's daughter from another marriage.
Kozar, who was 20 when Wood was killed, said she hopes Santini doesn鈥檛 get another chance to escape.
鈥淚f they need extra evidence, we鈥檙e willing to let them exhume the body 鈥 whatever it takes to make sure that he doesn鈥檛 go anywhere,鈥 Kozer said.
Santini鈥檚 attorney asked the judge for bail. But prosecutors noted that Santini killed Wood after fleeing a charge in Texas related to a convenience store robbery.
The judge didn't need extra evidence.
鈥淵ou are the definition of flight risk,鈥 the judge told Santini during the hearing. 鈥淭here is nothing I can do to preserve the safety of this community if I was to let you go.鈥
