Trending Now - Oregon Man Receives 20-year Sentence for 1980s Girlfriend Murder
WHO:
Fox News - Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield stated, "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."
CNN - Marcus Sanfratello, 73, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.
CNN - Teresa Peroni, Sanfratello's then-girlfriend, was 27 years old at the time of her disappearance.
CNN - Elizabeth Baker is Sanfratello's defense attorney.
CNN - Oregon Attorney General Rayfield made a statement regarding the case.
WHAT:
Fox News - Sanfratello was initially indicted on a higher charge of second-degree murder before pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter.
CNN - Sanfratello was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with a minimum of 10 years served.
CNN - Sanfratello pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the death of Teresa Peroni.
CNN - The case was reopened in 2024, leading to new DNA evidence that confirmed the identity of a human skull found in 1997 as belonging to Peroni.
WHERE:
CNN - The case took place in Oregon, specifically near the small town of Selma.
CNN - Sanfratello was taken into custody in Chico, California, before being extradited to Oregon.
WHEN:
Fox News - Sanfratello was taken into custody in Chico, California, in July 2025.
Fox News - Sanfratello was taken into custody on July 2025 in Chico, California.
CNN - Teresa Peroni disappeared in 1983.
CNN - A human skull was found in 1997.
CNN - The case was reopened in 2024.
CNN - Sanfratello was taken into custody last year (2025).
WHY:
CNN - Sanfratello had “strong motivation to resolve the matter” due to a diagnosis of a complex health issue.
CNN - The resolution of the case provides closure for Peroni's family after a 43-year wait.
HOW:
Fox News - Prosecutors stated that investigators "reinterviewed witnesses, collected new DNA evidence and applied modern forensic techniques to build a case against Sanfratello."
Fox News - Investigators "reinterviewed witnesses, collected new DNA evidence and applied modern forensic techniques" to build a case against Sanfratello.
CNN - Investigators collected new DNA evidence and used modern forensic testing to confirm the identity of the skull as belonging to Peroni.
(UPDATED April 23, 2026 01:22 UTC)
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield emphasized the importance of persistence in the pursuit of justice, stating that no matter how many years pass, those who take a life will be held accountable. Sanfratello was taken into custody in Chico, California, in July 20th25, following a renewed investigation. Prosecutors revealed that they reinterviewed witnesses, collected new DNA evidence, and applied modern forensic techniques to build a strong case against him.
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(UPDATED April 22, 2026 19:28 UTC)
Sanfratello was initially indicted on a higher charge of second-degree murder but has since pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. He was taken into custody in July 20th25 in Chico, California, following a thorough investigation. Investigators reinterviewed witnesses, collected new DNA evidence, and applied modern forensic techniques to build their case against him.
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(UPDATED April 22, 2026 09:23 UTC)
Marcus Sanfratello, aged 73, has pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the death of Teresa Peroni, who was 27 years old when she disappeared in 1983. Sanfratello was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with a minimum of 10 years to be served, following the reopening of the case in 2024 when new DNA evidence confirmed that a human skull found in 1997 belonged to Peroni. Oregon Attorney General Rayfield stated that this resolution brings closure to Peroni's family after a long wait of 43 years.