GRANTS PASS, Ore. — A person who’s suspected within the disappearance of his then-girlfriend within the Eighties and was lately extradited from California to Oregon has been arraigned on a homicide cost stemming from the chilly case.
This undated picture launched by the Nationwide Lacking and Unidentified Individuals System exhibits Teresa Peroni earlier than her disappearance in 1983. (NamUs through AP)
Mark Sanfratello, 72, was arraigned Wednesday in Josephine County Circuit Courtroom in southern Oregon after a grand jury indicted him for second-degree homicide within the loss of life of Teresa Peroni, the Oregon lawyer basic’s workplace mentioned in an announcement.
Sanfratello is being held with out bail, in line with on-line courtroom data. His protection lawyer, Elizabeth Baker, mentioned he’s “claiming all the rights afforded him under the law.”
Peroni disappeared in 1983 at age 27 after attending a celebration in a rural space close to the small city of Selma. Authorities say she was final seen strolling into the woods with Sanfratello, her boyfriend on the time. Authorities investigated, however there was not sufficient proof to maneuver ahead with prices.
In 1997 a human cranium was discovered on a close-by property, which was then searched with the usage of a cadaver canine, in line with the Josephine County Sheriff’s Workplace. The cranium was despatched to the College of North Texas for examination.
The sheriff’s workplace reopened the case in 2024, with investigators gathering new DNA proof and utilizing trendy forensic testing. With the extra DNA, consultants on the college have been capable of verify that the cranium was Peroni’s.
Sanfratello was taken into custody final month in Chico, California.
Investigators are nonetheless in search of data from anybody who attended the celebration.
“What happened to Teresa Peroni left her family with decades of uncertainty and grief,” Oregon Lawyer Normal Dan Rayfield mentioned. “While the legal process is now underway and it’s important not to prejudge its outcome, this arrest reflects the progress that’s possible when law enforcement agencies persist and evolve with new tools. It’s a powerful reminder that time doesn’t erase the need for answers.”
It’s the second latest Oregon chilly case that has been linked to somebody in California. State police mentioned in Could {that a} man who was discovered useless alongside Interstate 5 in Oregon had been recognized after practically 45 years and that infamous California serial killer Randy Kraft was the one individual beneath investigation for the 1980 killing.
Initially Revealed: July 18, 2025 at 11:01 AM PDT
