Tulsa County deputies say new information led to a first-degree murder charge nearly three decades after the killing of Todd Sanseverino.
TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado on Tuesday announced the arrest of 62-year-old Angie Cutnose in the 1997 shooting death of Todd W. Sanseverino, who was 32. Deputies said Cutnose was taken into custody at her Sand Springs home and booked on a first-degree murder complaint stemming from a late-night shooting in a North Franklin neighborhood.
Authorities said the arrest marks a major step in a case that lingered for 28 years. Sanseverino was shot and killed on July 19, 1997, while visiting a home in the 500 block of North Franklin in Sand Springs. The Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Task Force revisited the file in recent years and, according to officials, developed new information that prompted prosecutors to file a charge. Regalado praised the task force’s persistence and said the case underscores the office’s long-term commitment to unresolved homicides. Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said the case will move forward in district court and emphasized that Cutnose, like any defendant, is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Deputies said Sanseverino arrived at the home shortly before midnight when he was shot in the chest. Neighbors told investigators in 1997 that they heard a gunshot and saw people moving around the property, according to case records reviewed by detectives. In public remarks Tuesday, Regalado said investigators have long considered Cutnose a suspect but lacked the evidence to sustain a charge. “These cases are extremely difficult and very time-consuming,” he said, adding that the breakthrough came through patient detective work and interviews that refreshed decades-old memories. Kunzweiler echoed that assessment, saying the filing reflects a standard charging review and that his office will present the case in the usual way at forthcoming hearings.
Officials declined to detail the new information, citing the ongoing prosecution. The Sheriff’s Office said task force members re-examined prior witness statements, forensic reports and the old investigative timeline. Detectives also revisited the scene and conducted additional interviews with people who knew both Sanseverino and Cutnose in the late 1990s, according to deputies. Records show the original investigation identified multiple people at the residence that night, and detectives repeatedly returned to the address in the weeks after the killing. Authorities said they will not release some investigative materials until court proceedings allow. The precise caliber of the weapon, certain ballistics findings and whether any physical evidence has been retested were not disclosed Tuesday.
Sanseverino’s killing was listed for years on the office’s cold case roster, one of dozens that span the county from the 1970s through the 2000s. Names and dates on that list have been used to locate relatives for DNA comparisons or to confirm biographical details that help frame a victim’s history. In this case, investigators said contact with Sanseverino’s family has remained steady, and relatives provided context that helped detectives reconstruct his final day. A family member said the arrest came on what would have been Sanseverino’s birthday, underscoring the length of time the case has weighed on them. Friends described him as a hard worker who spent time with relatives in Sand Springs and the west Tulsa area.
Regalado said the Cold Case Task Force reviewed dozens of leads in the past two years, consolidating early suspect lists and rechecking names that surfaced in 1997 interviews. Detectives compared those accounts with later statements given to deputies after the case went cold. The task force also coordinated with prosecutors on what evidence could be introduced under current standards. Kunzweiler said routine early hearings will follow, including an initial appearance and a probable cause review. If the case advances, a preliminary hearing would be set before a district judge to determine whether there is enough evidence for trial. No court dates had been posted as of Wednesday, and officials said scheduling updates will be released when available.
On North Franklin this week, neighbors set out early holiday decorations along a quiet block of modest homes. A man raking leaves said he moved in long after the shooting but has heard stories about “the night the sirens came.” Another neighbor said detectives knocked on her door this fall asking if she recognized old photographs. “You could tell they weren’t giving up,” she said. At the Sheriff’s Office, Regalado thanked retired investigators who first worked the case, saying, “It’s bittersweet, but today we can tell the family we didn’t forget.” A department spokesperson said deputies transported Cutnose to the county jail without incident and that she is being held pending a court appearance.
As of Thursday morning, Cutnose faced one count of first-degree murder in Tulsa County. Prosecutors said charging documents would be available through the court clerk once filed. The Sheriff’s Office said additional updates will come after the initial appearance, expected in the coming days, and after a preliminary hearing date is set.
Author note: Last updated November 20, 2025.