His first hearing to face charges of first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery had been scheduled for April 8, the Pensacola News Journal reported. [emailprotected]. It is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history and the first time the familial DNA method has been used to solve a case in Northwest Florida. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. "Each time, evil won, just out of reach," police said of the 35-year gap. We located 9 sex offenders matching the name "Daniel Wells" in the US. "She can finally rest.". . McKinley was last seen alive around 1:30 a.m. at Darryls Bar & Grille in Pensacola, and in the early-morning hours of New Years Day her body was found in an empty lot at the corner of Peacock Drive and Creighton Road, just one block off Scenic Highway. It is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history and the first time the familial DNA method has been used to solve a case in Northwest Florida. Tonya's older sister, Renee Ethridge, has run the "Tonya Ethridge McKinley Memorial" page on Facebook since 2012 in hopes of keeping her sister's case in the public eye. From there, the Pensacola police, FDLE and Parabon constructed a family tree, starting with the distant relatives, that eventually led them to identify Wells as a suspect. Wells was being charged with first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery and was scheduled to be in court on April 8 for his first hearing in the case. View their profile including current address, phone number 850-584-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on March 18 for the 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. He got to have a family. IE 11 is not supported. It is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history and the first time the familial DNA method has been used to solve a case in Northwest Florida. Daniel departed this 2,006 square foot home in 2003. Pensacola, FL View Cell Phone Number View Background Report. The price to rent a two bedroom unit in the zip code 32526 is around . daniel leonard wells pensacola daniel leonard wells pensacola. Police arrested 57-year-old Daniel Leonard Wells (Escambia County Jail) A 57-year-old man has been arrested 35 years after the murder of a young mother in Florida. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. Cold case investigators. But DNA in a public database eventually linked McKinley's killer to Wells' family and then to him, police said. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. Pensacola police make arrest in 35-year-old cold case murder using familial DNA, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Lets begin then, shall we? Tonya Ethridge McKinley, then 23, had just left a New Year's Eve celebration before she was strangled and sexually assaulted in Pensacola, allegedly by Daniel Leonard Wells, now 57, according to police. Court records did not indicate the outcome of that case. It is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history and the first time the familial DNA method has been used to solve a case in Northwest Florida. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions., [Mugshot via Pensacola Police Department], Have a tip we should know? PENSACOLA, Fla. A man who was arrested last month in a 35-year-old Florida Panhandle slaying has been found dead in jail from an apparent suicide, authorities said. Pensacola; Daniel Leonard Wells; Daniel Leonard Wells, Age 60. aka Dan Wells, D L Wells. "(Wells) is a coward he didn't even wait until the trial even started," said McKinley's son, Tim Davidson Jr., who was just 18 months old when his mother was murdered. Discover work experience, company details, and more. Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life, McKinleys now-grown son Timothy Davidson Jr. said according to the outlet. However, the cause of death was determined to be strangulation, and she was alsosexually assaulted. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. Tonyas son Tim Davidson Jr. called Daniel a coward, adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the trial started. He said, Its frustrating for our family on a lot of levels because we waited so long to get justice. Daniel lives at 5206 Cerny Rd, Pensacola, FL. Browse . "What is important is that no one forgot Tonya. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. In 1988, he was arrested on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. After 35 years, an Escambia County man has been charged with murdering a woman in Pensacola. Find census, military, and other historical records.*. and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. They found a dead body and immediately notified the authorities. Daniel Leonard Wells' Arrest Photo (Image provided by Pensacola Police Department) Police needed him to discard something with DNA evidence, and eventually, an officer witnessed him tossing a cigarette butt. She had been fatally strangled, and sexually assaulted, police said. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. From there, investigators said they found Wells and confirmed he was the killer after obtaining a discarded cigarette. The investigators had retrieved semen, head hair, and pubic hair from Tonyas body and the crime scene. Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. Thats all moot now. "The reasons why this happened, how evil crossed Tonya's path, may never be answered and in the end may not be important," according to police. We did this time and time again. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. Results for this person or the person you are looking for are not guaranteed to appear in search results. I'm positive of that.". "(Tonya) can rest now," Renee said after being told of Wells' arrest. The investigators had to wait for more than 35 years before they finally arrested the murderer with the help of cutting-edge forensic technology at their disposal. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found dead in his cell at Escambia County Sheriff's Office in an apparent suicide Thursday morning. Edited: Suspect in 35-year-old Pensacola cold case solved by familial DNA commits suicide in jail By Tony Adame Pensacola News Journal Two weeks after his arrest in a 35-year-old cold case murder, Daniel Leonard Wells was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, dead of an apparent suicide just days before he was scheduled to make a court appearance in the case. McKinley in Pensacola, Florida, on the first day of 1985. 3,876 court search results for people named "Daniel Wells" in the United States. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions.. His first hearing to face charges of first-degree. Wells, who was living in Pensacola at the time of his arrest, was identified after Parabon NanoLabs, a Virginia-based company working with the Pensacola Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, ran a DNA sample obtained from the scene of the crime through an open-source genealogy database and identified several different people believed to be distant cousins of the suspect. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. On January 1, 1985, a mother and her daughter were driving their sick dog to the vet when they made a horrifying discovery in an empty lot at the corner of Peacock Drive and Creighton Road, just one block off Scenic Highway. Their mother, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee. Contact info for Daniel Wells in Pensacola, Florida: Phone number, address lookup, email address, and social networking profiles on Spokeo, your people search engine for contact info & public records. The arrest of Wells isnt an exception: cops say they found DNA at the scene of the crime. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. Vanita told the investigators the night of December 31, 1984, had begun festively with her, her husband, and Tonya going to Darryls Bar & Grille in Pensacola to celebrate the New Year countdown. Using that, they and Parabon made use of an open-source genealogy database, used it to locate distant relatives of the suspect, and finally found the defendant, officers said in the Pensacola News Journal report. It seems that every couple of years a new lead would pop up and we would drop everything to run it down, Pensacola cops said in a statement. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on . DNA evidence lifted from a discarded cigarette led Florida police to the man they believe killed a young mother 35 years ago, authorities said Thursday. Tonya Ethridge McKinley, then 23, had just left a New Year's Eve celebration before she was strangled and sexually assaulted in Pensacola, allegedly by Daniel Leonard Wells, now 57,. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. "I know it took a long time, but it was one of those cases we never gave up on.". Phone Number: (816) 468-UYKW +3 phones. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. According to the show, she and her husband reminded Tonya after midnight that it was time to pick up their children and head home. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Today, the evil that took Tonya from her friends and family was arrested for her brutal murder.". Top Result for Daniel Wells in Pensacola, FL 1 The best result we found for your search is Daniel Ray Wells age 50s in Fairhope, AL. Detectives in California used the same method to identify and arrest Joseph James DeAngelo, a suspect in the Golden State Killer cases, in April 2018. Landlines (4) (850 . May go by: Dan Leonard Wells Age. He is being held in Escambia County jail. Its frustrating for our family on a lot of levels because we waited so long to get justice, he said. "Nothing could ever make up for losing my mom, but at least now we know what happened to her. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. DNA left at the scene of the crime helped locate distant relatives of the suspect. Press J to jump to the feed. Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. Pensacola, FL View Full Details Phone Numbers. ", Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. She said she did not have any more information to share. . Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. Wells was identified . PENSACOLA Two weeks after his arrest in a 35-year-old cold case murder, Daniel Leonard Wells was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, dead of an apparent suicide just days before he was scheduled to make a court appearance in the case. Pensacola detectives arrested Wells on March 18 and charged him with the slaying of Tonya McKinley, 23, whose body was found before dawn on New Years Day 1985. According to the arrest report, there is a greater than 1 in 700 billion chance that the DNA from the crime scene is a match to anyone other than Wells. Click a city to find Daniel more easily. Wells' DNA is being offered to other nearby law enforcement agencies with unsolved sex crimes because he has lived locally the whole time, Pensacola police spokesman Mike Wood said. Wells was identified after Parabon NanoLabs, a Virginia-based company working with the Pensacola Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, ran a DNA sample obtained from the scene of the crime through an open-source genealogy database and identified several different people believed to be distant cousins of the suspect. . UNLOCK PROFILE. The investigators had to wait for more than 35 years before they finally arrested the murderer with the help of cutting-edge forensic technology at their disposal. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. "Until today. Read More: Matthew Winkler Murder: Where is Mary Winkler Now? "It weighed a lot on him. The authorities were able to establish a timeline when residents of the locality near the crime scene reported they were confident they did not see any corpse when they passed the parking lot at 2:00 am. Pensacola detectives arrested Wells on March 18 and charged him with the slaying of Tonya McKinley, 23, whose body was found before dawn on New Years Day 1985. He is being held.. Orlando police used the method in November 2018 to identify a suspect in the 2001 murder of Christine Franke and arrested Benjamin Holmes for first-degree murder. The landline phone number 8165849629 is registered to Daniel Leonard Wells in Pensacola, FL at 5206 Cerny Rd. On Wednesday, 35 years later, Pensacola police made an arrest in the case: Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, is facing charges of first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery. Records viewed by Law&Crime show that Wells, 57, pleaded not guilty March 24 and was set for an arraignment Wednesday. According to police sources, the alleged murderer had died from self-inflicted injuries. PENSACOLA Tonya Ethridge McKinley was 23 years old and had an 18-month-old son waiting for her at home when she was killed in the early-morning hours of Jan. 1, 1985, in Pensacola. Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic hair from Tonya's body and the crime scene. "Despite having a good bit of physical evidence and dozens of interviews, over time, the trail went cold," police said in a statement Thursday. Investigators nationwide say the genetics company have aided in solving cold cases. Wells was being charged with first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery and was scheduled to be in court on April 8 for his first hearing in the case. [emailprotected]. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. was assaulted with a blunt instrument, causing blunt-force trauma to her head. McKinley, 23, was last seen alive early New Years Day in 1985 at a restaurant. In 1988, he was arrested on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. Vanita reminisced how the 23-year-old dotted over her child, taking the toddler everywhere she went and trying to provide for all his needs. In 1988, he was arrested for solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. However, they could not find witnesses who had seen her leave the bar that night. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, is facing charges of first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery in the 1985 murder of 23-year-old Tonya Ethridge McKinley. McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was seen alive early New Year's Day in 1985 at Darryl's Bar & Grille. More than anything, Renee said, Tonya loved her then-18-month-old son, Timothy Davidson Jr., who family members affectionately referred to as Timbo when he was a child. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. Tonya Ethridge McKinley was 23 years old and had an 18-month-old son waiting for her at home when she was killed in the early-morning hours of Jan. 1, 1985, in Pensacola. View Dan Rowdy Wells's record in Pensacola, FL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. He wasn't going to ever just say what he did on his own. The investigation hit numerous dead ends over the years, lasting so long that retiring detectives had to pass it on to their successors. For thirty-five years.. Detectives in California used the same method to identify and arrest Joseph James DeAngelo, a suspect in the Golden State Killer cases, in April 2018. ". Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. He got to have a family. Check out The Morning News to get the latest news, weather and traffic in Central Florida. No suspects had been publicly named. At the time of the incident, Tonya Ethridge McKinley and her 17-month-old son, Timothy, had moved in with her cousin, Vanita Biasco, to Pensacola in Escambia County, Florida, in late 1984, following a split with the infants father. The Pensacola Police Department collaborated with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs to run a DNA sample recovered from the crime scene through an open-source genealogy database. The cutting-edge forensic technology helped authorities identify multiple people as distant cousins of the suspect. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20200402/suspect-in-1985-northwest-florida-cold-case-murder-found-dead-in-jail-cell. From there, the Pensacola police, FDLE and Parabon constructed a family tree, starting with the distant relatives, that eventually led them to identify Wells as a suspect. Daniel moved out of this 3.5 bath home in 2016. It was just a normal New Years Eve.. This was from an apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law&Crime. This home is the most recent known address for Daniel. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. Also, the way he had disposed of the body and other evidence, such as her purse and shoes, indicated the perpetrator was in a hurry. Orlando police used the method in November 2018 to identify a suspect in the 2001 murder of Christine Franke and arrested Benjamin Holmes for first-degree murder. Detectives said they spoke to dozens of friends and other revelers at Darryl's Bar & Grille, not far from where McKinley was found on Jan. 1, 1985. The case went nowhere for years, but officers said they used Parabon NanoLabs to help them break the case. Lets begin then, shall we? Their mother, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions. "I didn't really know if this [arrest] would ever happen," the victim's relieved sister, Renee McCall, 62, a nurse, told NBC News on Thursday. The 1985 killing of Tonya Ethridge McKinley, 23, has been solved, say police in Pensacola, Florida. Wells was identified after Parabon NanoLabs, a Virginia-based company working with the Pensacola Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, ran a DNA sample obtained from the scene of the crime through an open-source genealogy database and identified several different people believed to be distant cousins of the suspect. Have a tip or story idea? Wells is being held without bond at the Escambia County jail. She recounted how they danced, met with friends, and partied till the late night hours of New Years Eve. Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. Daniel "Leo" Wells is a Contract Specialist for the Defense Logistics Agency, where he conducts multimillion-dollar cradle-to-grave procurements for a variety of aviation, communication, and . Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, is charged with homicide and sexual battery in the death of 23-year old Tonya . Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on March 18 for the 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley. "She can finally rest.". Wells was recently identified after a Virginia-based company working with the Pensacola Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ran a DNA sample from the crime scene through an open-source genealogy database and identified several distant cousins of the suspect. Matthew Winkler Murder: Where is Mary Winkler Now. She said, Her (Tonyas) world revolved around her son.. On Wednesday evening, that day finally arrived with the arrest of Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, who was tied to the young woman's 1985 slaying thanks to DNA recovered from the butt of his. ADVERTISEMENT The 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley, 23, will never go to trial. According to the arrest report, there is a less than onein 700 billion chance that the DNA from the crime scene is a match to anyone other than Wells. "(Tonya) would fight hard for me she would fight for me and I've gotta fight for her," Renee told WKRG in a 2008 interview. Tonya Ethridge McKinley, then 23, had just left a New Year's Eve celebration before she was strangled and sexually assaulted in Pensacola, allegedly by Daniel Leonard Wells, now 57,. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, is facing charges of first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery in the 1985 murder of 23-year-old Tonya Ethridge McKinley. PENSACOLA Two weeks after his arrest in a 35-year-old cold case murder, Daniel Leonard Wells was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, dead of an apparent suicide just days before he was scheduled to make a court appearance in the case. Two weeks after his arrest in a 35-year-old cold case murder, Daniel Leonard Wells was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, dead of an apparent suicide. Daniel Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida. Landlines (4) (850) 584-9629 (816) 584 . The Pensacola Police Department collaborated with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs to run a DNA sample recovered from the crime scene through an open-source genealogy database. McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was seen alive early New Years Day in 1985 at Darryls Bar & Grille. Phone & Email (4) All Addresses (7) Family (3) Zaznacz stron. 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