She said, Her (Tonyas) world revolved around her son.. She had last been seen at a Pensacola bar shortly after the start of the new year. 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. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions. Find census, military, and other historical records.*. 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. 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. Daniel Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida. McKinley in Pensacola, Florida, on the first day of 1985. "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. "There are people out there who know (what happened). However, forensic science was yet to evolve in 1985, and with the police having no leads or suspects, the case went cold. The defendant got to live his life the last 35 years. "What is important is that no one forgot Tonya. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. 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. Browse . Matthew Winkler Murder: Where is Mary Winkler Now. Investigators nationwide say the genetics company have aided in solving cold cases. This was from an apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law&Crime. 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. Police "immediately stopped and recovered the cigarette butt," which had DNA matching semen taken off the victim's body, according to the warrant. "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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Assessor records link the name of Daniel Wells to thirteen properties, including . The arrest of Wells isnt an exception: cops say they found DNA at the scene of the crime. 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, is facing charges of first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery in the 1985 murder of 23-year-old Tonya Ethridge McKinley. 8 maja 2022. daniel leonard wells pensacola . Landlines (4) (850 . I'm positive of that.". 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. May 8, 2022 | In best courses to study in uk for masters | . https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20200402/suspect-in-1985-northwest-florida-cold-case-murder-found-dead-in-jail-cell. ", Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. 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. Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. 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 have a family. ". 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. She was half naked and had been strangled and sexually assaulted, Pensacola police officers said. 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She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. No suspects had been publicly named. However, the cause of death was determined to be strangulation, and she was also. She said she did not have any more information to share. Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic from Tonya's body and the crime scene. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. Phone Numbers. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. . After 35 years, an Escambia County man has been charged with murdering a woman in Pensacola. "Each time, evil won, just out of reach," police said of the 35-year gap. View property details and household demographic information related to income, investments, and interests. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on March 18 for the 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. However, they could not find witnesses who had seen her leave the bar that night. Spokeo's database, while extensive, does not contain all U.S. warrant, arrest, court, or other related records. 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. PENSACOLA, Fla. -- A 57-year-old man has been arrested for the 1985 cold case murder of 23-year-oldTonya Ethridge McKinley in Pensacola. Lets begin then, shall we? 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 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. Cold case investigators. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. She was always his favorite," McCall said of this bittersweet day. Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. 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. 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. 9 people named Daniel Wells found in this area: includes Pensacola, Gulf Breeze and Milton. Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. 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. We identified 991 records related to "Daniel Wells" in the state of Florida. 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,. He's now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. 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. Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. Have a tip or story idea? 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 5 court records for "Daniel Wells" in "Escambia County". Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriffs office. The victim was identified as Tonya, and an autopsy report stated she was assaulted with a blunt instrument, causing blunt-force trauma to her head. 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Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on March 18 for the 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley. He has been charged with murder and sexual battery. 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. "She can finally rest.". "(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. 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. For thirty-five years.. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. Daniel has lived in a single family house in Liberty, MO with Mary. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. was assaulted with a blunt instrument, causing blunt-force trauma to her head. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. [emailprotected]. The case went nowhere for years, but officers said they used Parabon NanoLabs to help them break the case. 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, 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. "This was a case that spanned three generations of detectives," said PPD Capt. Their parting exchange was wishing each other New Year greetings, and Tonya stated she would see her the following morning. 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 video appearance was scheduled for court to take place at 1:30 p.m. on 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,. Explore the listing below to find Daniel's address, relatives, and other public records. I'm positive of that.". Check out The Morning News to get the latest news, weather and traffic in Central Florida. 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. Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. 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. [Image of McKinley via Pensacola Police Department; mugshot of Wells via Escambia County], Have a tip we should know? Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions.. "I didn't really think this would happen in my lifetime, not after 35 years.". Search for profiles by email and username. 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 facing charges of first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery in the 1985 murder of 23-year-old Tonya Ethridge McKinley. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. Counts may not reflect the number of records that will appear in search results. The investigators interviewed several partygoers to learn the last time anyone had seen Tonya alive was around 1:15 am. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wells had been found dead in his cell. According to police sources, the alleged murderer had died from self-inflicted injuries. Results for this person or the person you are looking for are not guaranteed to appear in search results. 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. 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. 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. BREAKING: Daniel Wells -- recently arrested for the 1985 Pensacola New Year's murder of Tonya McKinley -- has committed suicide in jail, deputies confirm. But for most of the time, they had no suspect in the killing of McKinley, who was survived by an 18-month-old son. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. The57-year-old pleaded not guilty on March 24 and was set for an arraignment in the first week of April. Daniel departed this 2,006 square foot home in 2003. Daniel is related to Nicholas Lee Wells and Howard Snowden Wells as well as 3 additional people. Zaznacz stron. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. 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. UNLOCK PROFILE. 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. 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. It was just a normal New Years Eve.. Daniel Leonard Wells. According to police reports, surveillance teams obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched with DNA found at the crime scene. She was later found dead at an empty lot. DNA left at the scene of the crime helped locate distant relatives of the suspect. Wells is being held without bond at the Escambia County jail. "I know it took a long time, but it was one of those cases we never gave up on.". Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. 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. Lived in a single family house in Liberty, MO with Mary about the case left at the of! Kiss and was set for an optimal experience visit our site on browser! Court, or other related records. * lived in a single family house in Liberty, MO with.... Daniel has lived in a single family house in Liberty, MO with Mary always his favorite ''... 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