Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. This was from an apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law&Crime. Tonya's body was found shortly before 5 a.m. on New Year's Day by a family living on Peacock Drive who were taking their sick dog to an all-night veterinarian clinic. I'm positive of that.". They found a dead body and immediately notified the authorities. Daniel Leonard Wells. She said she did not have any more information to share. "Despite having a good bit of physical evidence and dozens of interviews, over time, the trail went cold," police said in a statement Thursday. We identified 991 records related to "Daniel Wells" in the state of Florida. Daniel is related to Nicholas Lee Wells and Howard Snowden Wells as well as 3 additional people. 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. You may have heard that name before. He's now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. She had been fatally strangled, and sexually assaulted, police said. ADVERTISEMENT "It weighed a lot on him. McKinley, 23, was last seen alive early New Years Day in 1985 at a restaurant. All rights reserved. Daniel lives at 5206 Cerny Rd, Pensacola, FL. "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. Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. According to the arrest report, there is a less than 1 in 700 billion chance that the DNA from the crime scene is a match to anyone other than Wells. She recounted how they danced, met with friends, and partied till the late night hours of New Years Eve. 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. 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. She had last been seen at a Pensacola bar shortly after the start of the new year. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. ". 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. Click a city to find Daniel more easily. It wasn't immediately clear whether Wells had hired or been assigned an attorney, Wood said Thursday. They have also lived in Pensacola, FL and Gulf Breeze, FL. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. The case went nowhere for years, but officers said they used Parabon NanoLabs to help them break the case. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. 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. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. He got to have a family. At the point, the process has become kind of routine. He wasnt going to ever just say what he did on his own.. ", New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Scan this QR code to download the app now. Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. ", Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. "It's frustrating for our family on a lot of levels because we waited so long to get justice. The investigation hit numerous dead ends over the years, lasting so long that retiring detectives had to pass it on to their successors. Around three and a half decades later,Pensacola police arrested Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, for Tonyas homicide. On Wednesday, 35 years later, Pensacola police made an arrest in the case: Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, is facing charges of. "Nothing could ever make up for losing my mom, but at least now we know what happened to her. Investigation Discoverys On The Case With Paula Zahn: New Years Eve Nightmare chronicles the brutal rape and murder of 23-year-old mother Tonya McKinley in Pensacola, Florida, on the first day of 1985. 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. 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. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. 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, FL View Cell Phone Number View Background Report. View property details and household demographic information related to income, investments, and interests. Search for profiles by email and username. 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. UNLOCK PROFILE. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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 said she did not have any more information to share. Assessor records link the name of Daniel Wells to thirteen properties, including . Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions.. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. Phone Number: (816) 468-UYKW +3 phones. But for most of the time, they had no suspect in the killing of McKinley, who was survived by an 18-month-old son. 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. No suspects had been publicly named. 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. 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(816) 468-.css-1y2reja{color:transparent;position:relative;z-index:12;text-shadow:0.1rem 0.1rem 0.6rem #089FE4;}LIYF. 50s Location. Past Addresses: Pensacola FL, Kansas City MO +4 more. 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. Press J to jump to the feed. Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. Moreover, the winding roads and complex layout of the neighborhood convinced the cops that the killer hailed from the local community. Check out The Morning News to get the latest news, weather and traffic in Central Florida. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions., [Mugshot via Pensacola Police Department], Have a tip we should know? "It seems that every couple of years a new lead would pop up and we would drop everything to run it down. 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. This was from an apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law&Crime. Daniel has lived with Polly in Pensacola, FL. Hes now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. He was born on 1-06-1962. She said, Her (Tonyas) world revolved around her son.. We did this time and time again. View Dan Rowdy Wells's record in Pensacola, FL including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. "There are people out there who know (what happened). The price to rent a two bedroom unit in the zip code 32526 is around . He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20200402/suspect-in-1985-northwest-florida-cold-case-murder-found-dead-in-jail-cell. 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. However, Vanita said the young mother was not yet ready to call it a night and requested to pick up her son on her behalf. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. From there, investigators said they found Wells and confirmed he was the killer after obtaining a discarded cigarette. According to the arrest report, there is a less than 1 in 700 billion chance that the DNA from the crime scene is a match to anyone other than Wells. "There are people out there who know (what happened). "She can finally rest.". Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. "(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. DNA left at the scene of the crime helped locate distant relatives of the suspect. Uncover Daniel's photos, videos, and more , Personal details for Daniel may include . Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. Daniel was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery. Phone Numbers. Explore the listing below to find Daniel's address, relatives, and other public records. No suspects had been publicly named. It was just a normal New Years Eve.. McKinleys son Tim Davidson Jr. called Wells a coward, adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the trial even started.. In the meantime, a baby boy grew up without a mother, parents buried their daughter without knowing justice, and a killer was walking around free. "This was a case that spanned three generations of detectives," said Captain Chuck Mallett, who led the investigation. Their mother, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee. Court records did not indicate the outcome of that case. Wells was booked into the Escambia County Jail on Wednesday and held without bail. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found dead in his cell at Escambia County Sheriff's Office in an apparent suicide Thursday morning. Law enforcement officials were able to construct a family tree, beginning with the distant relatives, that ultimately led them to identify Daniel as a suspect. Today, the evil that took Tonya from her friends and family was arrested for her brutal murder.". He was set for a court appearance in the case on April 8 at 8:30 a.m. "(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. However, the cause of death was determined to be strangulation, and she was also. 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. Years later, thanks to advances in DNA testing, all of the evidence was identified as being from the same person, but no matches were ever found in the national DNA database. 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. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted, officials said. She 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. Landlines (4) (850 . If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. [emailprotected]. "I didn't really think this would happen in my lifetime, not after 35 years.". He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was seen alive early New Year's Day in 1985 at Darryl's Bar & Grille. Search for birth, death, marriage, divorce, US Census, and military records. The investigators had retrieved semen, head hair, and pubic hair from Tonyas body and the crime scene. Daniel has lived in a single family house in Liberty, MO with Mary. Have a tip or story idea? Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic hair from Tonya's body and the crime scene. Browse . The witness tampering charge was dropped after he pleaded no contest to the battery charge. Police "immediately stopped and recovered the cigarette butt," which had DNA matching semen taken off the victim's body, according to the warrant. 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. Jeffrey M Gallagher, Michelle L Phillips, and three other persons are also associated with this address. ", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. 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. McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was seen alive early New Years Day in 1985 at Darryls Bar & Grille. 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. PENSACOLA, Fla. -- A 57-year-old man has been arrested for the 1985 cold case murder of 23-year-oldTonya Ethridge McKinley in Pensacola. Landlines (4) (850) 584-9629 (816) 584 . From Haiti Through Liberty City to Top Federal Prosecutor in South Florida: the Unlikely Story of Markenzy Lapointe, Broward Judge to Allow Rapper Kodak Black to Enter Drug Treatment Program, Ex-UM Football Player Accused of Killing Teammate Granted $850K Bond. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. She was later found dead at an empty lot. 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. When the emergency respondents arrived at the scene, they located the corpse lying next to the curb, with her pantyhose pulled down around her ankles and dress pulled up. Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. 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. 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. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. Emailus. 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,. However, the cause of death was determined to be strangulation, and she was alsosexually assaulted. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. [Image of McKinley via Pensacola Police Department; mugshot of Wells via Escambia County], Have a tip we should know? 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. Lets begin then, shall we? Spokeo's database, while extensive, does not contain all U.S. warrant, arrest, court, or other related records. Daniel Leonard Wells, age 50s, lives in Pensacola, FL. The investigators initially could not find the cause of death or the identity of the body. Daniel moved out of this 3.5 bath home in 2016. Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic from Tonya's body and the crime scene. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Their parting exchange was wishing each other New Year greetings, and Tonya stated she would see her the following morning. Thirteen properties, including been arrested for her brutal murder. `` another browser numerous! +4 more used Parabon NanoLabs to help them break the case and the killers.! Uncover details about birth, death, marriage, divorce, US Census and. And he was the killer hailed from the local community from her friends and family was arrested her... 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