In early 2022, family and friends of Santino 'Tino' Biagio Cardella were left with overwhelming questions and anguish when he vanished from Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the time of his disappearance, Santino, a 28-year-old man with brown hair and brown eyes, was known to live a transient lifestyle. He was officially reported as a missing person in April of 2022, sparking a long and difficult search for answers.
From the outset of the investigation, the Colorado Springs Police Department received information that led them to believe foul play could have been a factor in his disappearance.
For more than two years, the case remained unresolved, while those who knew Santino held onto hope. The investigation pressed on, and in 2024, authorities received a crucial piece of information suggesting that Cardella might have been buried somewhere in the Pueblo area. This tip led investigators to obtain a search warrant in October 2024 for six parcels of land in Pueblo West. During the execution of the search warrant, a significant law enforcement presence was noted in the quiet community as investigators located what they suspected were human remains.
In January 2025, the El Paso County Coroner's Office confirmed the fears of Santino's loved ones: the remains discovered in Pueblo West were positively identified as his. The discovery, while providing a degree of closure, marked a tragic end to a years-long search and opened a new chapter in the case. Authorities are now investigating Santino Cardella's death as a homicide, though the official cause of death is still being determined by the coroner's office. The investigation into his death remains active, and police have asked for anyone with information to come forward. The case evolved from a missing person report in the spring of 2022 into a homicide investigation, following a tip that ultimately led to the sad discovery of his remains more than two and a half years after he was last seen.Last Seen: Jan 22, 2022
