Hes now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. She was later found dead at an empty lot. 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. 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. Chuck Mallett, who led the investigation. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions. 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. In 1988, he was arrested for solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. He got to have a family. 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. 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. 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. Police "immediately stopped and recovered the cigarette butt," which had DNA matching semen taken off the victim's body, according to the warrant. . 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. For thirty-five years.. Lets begin then, shall we? Pensacola, FL View Cell Phone Number View Background Report. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. 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 . We did this time and time again. IE 11 is not supported. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions.". In 1988, he was arrested on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. Phone & Email (4) All Addresses (7) Family (3) . 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. 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. and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. With the DNA from the cigarette butt, they were able to positively identify Wells' as the man who raped and murdered Tonya in 1985. 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. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. On Wednesday, 35 years later, Pensacola police made an arrest in the case: Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, is facing charges of. Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. But for most of the time, they had no suspect in the killing of McKinley, who was survived by an 18-month-old son. McKinleys son Tim Davidson Jr. called Wells a coward, adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the trial even started.. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Daniel has lived with Polly in Pensacola, FL. 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. Police credit Parabon NanoLabs with helping them break the case. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on March 18 for the 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley. He was held without bond at Escambia County Jail and made his court appearance the following morning, where he professed his innocence. 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. "(Tonya) can rest now," Renee said after being told of Wells' arrest. Daniel Leonard Wells, age 50s, lives in Pensacola, FL. Daniel Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida. At the point, the process has become kind of routine. He was set for a court appearance in the case on April 8 at 8:30 a.m. 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. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on March 18 for the 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. 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. Explore the listing below to find Daniel's address, relatives, and other public records. 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. 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. The arrest of Wells isnt an exception: cops say they found DNA at the scene of the crime. Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. was assaulted with a blunt instrument, causing blunt-force trauma to her head. Wells is being held without bond at the Escambia County jail. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. "(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. Additional court records revealed Wells was arrested in Pensacola in 1987 on battery and witness tampering charges. Phone Number: (816) 468-UYKW +3 phones. McCall said she's pleased about the arrest in her sister's case but saddened that her dad died a decade ago without knowing that his daughter's alleged killer would someday be caught. 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. Jeffrey M Gallagher, Michelle L Phillips, and three other persons are also associated with this address. 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. Thats all moot now. ", Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. Daniel has lived in a single family house in Liberty, MO with Mary. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. "(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. Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. Have a tip or story idea? "It's frustrating for our family on a lot of levels because we waited so long to get justice. [emailprotected]. Daniel departed this 2,006 square foot home in 2003. Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. 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. 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. After 35 years, an Escambia County man has been charged with murdering a woman in Pensacola. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. Zaznacz stron. From there, Pensacola police, FDLE and Parabon constructed a family tree, starting with the distant relatives, that eventually led them to identify Wells as a suspect. 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. 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. Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. 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. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal. 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. 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. Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. The 1985 killing of Tonya Ethridge McKinley, 23, has been solved, say police in Pensacola, Florida. Daniel lives at 5206 Cerny Rd, Pensacola, FL. She said, Her (Tonyas) world revolved around her son.. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found dead in his cell at Escambia County Sheriff's Office in an apparent suicide Thursday morning. 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. 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. "Each time, evil won, just out of reach," police said of the 35-year gap. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. They found a dead body and immediately notified the authorities. 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. The witness tampering charge was dropped after he pleaded no contest to the battery charge. Their mother, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee. He is being held in Escambia County jail. She said she did not have any more information to share. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. She recounted how they danced, met with friends, and partied till the late night hours of New Years Eve. Pensacola police make arrest in 35-year-old cold case murder using familial DNA, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. View property details and household demographic information related to income, investments, and interests. The investigators interviewed several partygoers to learn the last time anyone had seen Tonya alive was around 1:15 am. * Historical, vital, and court records and search results may require an additional purchase. In 1988, he was arrested on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. The presence or absence of records for any individual is not a guarantee of any kind. I'm positive of that.". 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. 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. Investigators were secretly following Wells on March 4 when he tossed a cigarette out of his car, according to an arrest warrant. [emailprotected]. 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. However, the cause of death was determined to be strangulation, and she was alsosexually assaulted. [Image of McKinley via Pensacola Police Department; mugshot of Wells via Escambia County], Have a tip we should know? 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. Phone Numbers. "She can finally rest.". Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. According to court records, Wells was arrested in Pensacola in 1987 on battery and witness tampering charges, but the witness tampering charge was dropped after he pleaded no contest to the battery charge. 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. 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. 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. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. Daniel is related to Nicholas Lee Wells and Howard Snowden Wells as well as 3 additional people. He's now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. 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. Cops said they confirmed he was their suspect by getting his DNA from a discarded cigarette. Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. 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. Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic from Tonya's body and the crime scene. It was just a normal New Years Eve.. UNLOCK PROFILE. "She can finally rest.". 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. DNA left at the scene of the crime helped locate distant relatives of the suspect. No suspects had been publicly named. 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 wasnt going to ever just say what he did on his own.. 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. Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. 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