MS Coast man charged in 2009 disappearance of ex-girlfriend in Massachusetts

A man from Ocean Springs has been charged with murder after prosecutors in Massachusetts accused him of killing an ex-girlfriend who disappeared sixteen years ago.

The indictment, announced Friday, accuses Albert Carabba, 64, of killing Patricia Santos, of Worcester, Massachusetts. The Worcester District Attorney’s Office said in a news release that Santos, 36, was reported missing in May 2009 “and never seen or heard from again.”

Carabba was arrested Sept. 29 by detectives with the Ocean Springs and Worcester police departments. He remained jailed without bond in Jackson County on Tuesday, according to jail records.

Prosecutors said he is expected to return to Massachusetts to be arraigned in Worcester, about two hours west of Boston.

Ocean Springs Police Chief Steven Dye said Tuesday that Carabba was arrested peacefully and had no previous run-ins with local police. He said Carabba had been a person of interest after Santos’ 2009 disappearance and later moved around between several states. It is unclear how long he lived in Ocean Springs.

Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said in a statement that the indictment was proof that his department “has not forgotten Patricia Santos.”

“As this unresolved homicide finally moves forward, we are confident that the facts provided will resolve any questions surrounding Patricia’s disappearance and deliver much deserved closure to her family,” he said.

This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 2:57 PM.