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A 73-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of his girlfriend, a case that remained unsolved for over four decades in Oregon.
Mark Sanfratello entered a guilty plea to first-degree manslaughter for the death of Teresa Peroni, who was 27 at the time of her disappearance in 1983. The sentencing took place on Tuesday, according to the Oregon Department of Justice.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield expressed relief for Peroni’s family, saying, “This has been a 43-year wait for an answer they never should have had to wait for.” He emphasized the commitment of law enforcement to pursue justice regardless of how much time has passed, stating, “If someone took a life, we’re going to keep working until we can hold them accountable.”
Peroni was last seen with Sanfratello after attending a house party in Selma before walking into the nearby woods. Her disappearance was quickly deemed suspicious, but investigators initially lacked sufficient evidence to press charges.
In 1997, Peroni’s skull was discovered on private property near the area where she was last seen; however, no other remains were found. The case remained cold until authorities reopened it in 2024. Using modern forensic methods, including reinterviewing witnesses and collecting new DNA evidence, prosecutors were able to build a case against Sanfratello.
In July 2025, Sanfratello was apprehended in Chico, California, extradited to Oregon, and charged. Following his guilty plea in Josephine County Circuit Court, he will serve a minimum of 10 years as part of his plea agreement.
The Oregon Department of Justice and Sanfratello’s defense attorney have not provided further comment on the case.