An Oregon man has been found guilty after he was connected to the death of his girlfriend, who was last seen alive in 1983.
Mark Sanfratello was arrested in June 2025 in connection with the murder of Teresa Peroni, who was 27 years old at the time of her disappearance.
The Oregon Department of Justice revealed in a press release on Tuesday, April 21, that Sanfratello, 73, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Sanfratello was arrested after the cold case investigation was reopened in February 2024, which was more than 40 years after the crime took place.
Mom’s Murder Solved 52 Years After Her Son Found Her Dead at New York Home
He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and will serve a minimum of 10 years, according to the release.
“For Teresa Peroni’s family, this has been a 43-year wait for an answer they never should have had to wait for,” Attorney General Dan Rayfield said in a statement following the sentencing. “Cases like this remind us of why we don’t give up. It doesn’t matter how many years have passed; if someone took a life, we’re going to keep working until we can hold them accountable.”
Peroni was last seen with Sanfratello when they were walking around a wooded area on July 4, 1983. Her family reported her missing soon after.
Authorities initially believed that Peroni’s disappearance was suspicious, though investigators concluded that “there was not enough probable cause to move forward with criminal prosecution,” according to People.
However, a major development in the case took place in 1997 when a human skull was found by “individuals on a nearby property.”
The skull then underwent tests and examinations, and officials determined that it belonged to Peroni. However, none of her other remains were found after the skull was discovered.
Missing Woman’s ‘Headless Torso’ Found in Freezer on Boyfriend’s Bus
After the case was reopened, “investigators reinterviewed witnesses, collected new DNA evidence, and applied modern forensic techniques to build a case against Sanfratello,” according to the Oregon Department of Justice’s news release.
“On June 27th, 2025, after locating multiple individuals associated with Peroni, DNA results and the original case/investigation, a Josephine County Grand Jury indicted Sanfratello on the charge of Murder,” the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office previously said in a statement.
The case was prosecuted by the Oregon Department of Justice Criminal Division, with Senior Assistant Attorneys General John Casalino and Brad Kalbaugh leading the effort. They worked with ODOJ Special Agent Brendan McGuire, who led the effort to organize 40 years’ worth of evidence.
