Man extradited to Oregon to face murder charge in girlfriend’s 1983 death

A man charged with murder in the 1983 death of his then-girlfriend has been extradited to Oregon and made his first appearance in court this week.

Teresa Peroni, 27, was reported missing shortly after attending a party in Selma, Oregon, on July 4, 1983, CBS News previously reported. Witnesses said Peroni was last seen walking into the woods with her 29-year-old boyfriend Mark Sanfratello. The pair fought during the party, according to Peroni’s profile on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 

Peroni’s family reported her disappearance, but there was not enough evidence to file charges, according to authorities. In 1997, a skull was discovered near where Peroni was last seen, but no other remains were discovered. 

In 2024, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office reopened the case of Peroni’s disappearance. The Oregon Department of Justice said in a news release Wednesday that investigators re-interviewed witnesses, collected new DNA evidence, and used modern forensic testing to obtain new evidence. Investigators were able to determine that the skull found in 1994 was Peroni’s. 

A grand jury indicted Sanfratello, now 72, on a charge of second-degree murder on June 27. 

Sanfratello was arrested in Chico, California, on June 28. He had his first court appearance in Oregon on Wednesday, when he was arraigned in Josephine County Circuit Court, the Oregon Department of Justice said. 

The case will be prosecuted by the Oregon Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the case highlights the importance of using new technology to solve cold cases. 

“What happened to Teresa Peroni left her family with decades of uncertainty and grief,” said Rayfield said Wednesday in a news release. “While the legal process is now underway and it’s important not to prejudge its outcome, this arrest reflects the progress that’s possible when law enforcement agencies persist and evolve with new tools. It’s a powerful reminder that time doesn’t erase the need for answers.”

Anyone with information about the party Peroni was last seen at has been asked to contact the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office.