Marcus Sanfratello, 73, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 1983 death of his then-girlfriend, Teresa Peroni. The resolution of this cold case, spanning over four decades, was announced Tuesday.
Sanfratello pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in Josephine County Circuit Court. He received a 20-year sentence, with a stipulation that he must serve a minimum of 10 years before parole eligibility.
Authorities stated Peroni was last seen entering the woods with Sanfratello, who was her boyfriend at the time of her disappearance. He was apprehended last year in Chico, California, and subsequently extradited to Oregon. Initially, he faced a more severe charge of second-degree murder.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield commented on the case, emphasizing that time does not diminish accountability. He acknowledged the considerable wait for Peroni's family to receive answers.
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The Oregon Department of Justice highlighted the contributions of various agencies and individuals in resolving the case. These include Detective Sergeant Kile Heinrich of the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office, Oregon State Police Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Nici Vance, scientists at the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, and the Chico Police Department.
This sentencing closes a chapter on a case that remained unsolved for more than 43 years.
