A decades-old mystery in southern Oregon may finally be coming to a close. Authorities say a northern California man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Teresa Peroni, an Oregon woman who vanished over 40 years ago.
Mark Sanfratello, 72, was taken into custody in Chico, California, on June 28 and charged with murder, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office announced. He is awaiting extradition back to Oregon to face trial in the county where Peroni disappeared.
The case stretches back to July 4, 1983, when 27-year-old Peroni was last seen walking into a wooded area near Selma, Oregon—about 20 miles southwest of Grants Pass—with Sanfratello, her boyfriend at the time. She never returned, and her family reported her missing soon after.
Despite extensive searches and a years-long investigation by the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office, there wasn’t enough evidence in the 1980s to charge anyone in connection to her disappearance.
In 1997, a human skull was discovered in the area where Peroni vanished. Investigators brought in cadaver dogs to search for additional remains but came up empty-handed. The skull was sent to the University of North Texas for DNA analysis, but technology at the time wasn’t advanced enough to confirm an identity.
It wasn’t until February 2024 that the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office reopened the cold case. This time, they partnered with the Oregon Department of Justice, the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office, and Chico Police in California to dig deeper.
Investigators re-interviewed individuals connected to Peroni and submitted new DNA samples. Modern forensic testing finally confirmed what her family had long suspected—the skull belonged to Teresa Peroni.
On June 27, 2025, a grand jury indicted Sanfratello on a murder charge based on the newly analyzed DNA evidence and additional information gathered during the reopened investigation. He was arrested the next day in California.
“After four decades, we’re finally able to take this critical step toward justice for Teresa and her family,” the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Sanfratello will be extradited to Josephine County to face charges.
Peroni’s family has been notified of the arrest, authorities confirmed.
“This case has haunted our community for more than 40 years,” a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said. “We hope this brings some measure of peace to Teresa’s loved ones who have waited so long for answers.”
