TULSA, Ok — A suspect in a nearly three-decade-old Tulsa County murder case made her first court appearance today.
Angie Cutnose is charged with killing Todd Sanseverino in 1997.
Nearly 30 years after someone shot and killed Sanseverino, Tulsa County investigators made an arrest in the cold case. They arrested Cutnose months ago for the 1997 murder, on what would have been the victim's 61st birthday.
WATCH: 30 YEARS LATER: Woman accused of killing man in 1997 appears in court:
Investigators told 2 News Oklahoma that conflicting accounts plagued the case from the beginning.
Deputies initially arrested Cutnose for the crime, but the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office said her boyfriend claimed responsibility.
"It muddied the waters and made it a case that would be impossible to prove in court because of the he-said-she-said and various suspects taking credit for what had occurred," Casey Roebuck, communications director with TCSO, said.
The breakthrough came from the TCSO's Cold Case Task Force, formed in 2016. The team re-interviewed multiple witnesses and obtained new information, enabling them to piece together what they think happened inside Cutnose's home that night.
Deputies said Cutnose remained calm during her arrest.
"She didn't appear incredibly surprised, was very cooperative, and there was no resistance whatsoever," Roebuck said.
For Todd's mother, Janie Martindale, the arrest brought long-awaited justice.
"I've been looking forward to that for many years, and Chris did an amazing job getting the information and arresting the person who did this. Nobody should have to go through this. Losing a child is the worst pain ever," Martindale said.
The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office says it's committed to bringing suspects like Cutnose to justice.
Cutnose's next court appearance is February 18 at 1:30 p.m.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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