Detectives in Pensacola said "evil won" in the unsolved murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley "until today.". Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. 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. The witness tampering charge was dropped after he pleaded no contest to the battery charge. "There are people out there who know (what happened). We identified 991 records related to "Daniel Wells" in the state of Florida. Have a tip or story idea? McKinleys son Tim Davidson Jr. called Wells a coward, adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the trial even started.. Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. A video appearance was scheduled for court to take place at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. 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. [Image of McKinley via Pensacola Police Department; mugshot of Wells via Escambia County], Have a tip we should know? Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. 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. 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. Daniel lives at 5206 Cerny Rd, Pensacola, FL. "Nothing could ever make up for losing my mom, but at least now we know what happened to her. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. However, the cause of death was determined to be strangulation, and she was also. 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. 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. She said she did not have any more information to share. Landlines (4) (850 . Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. 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. Lets begin then, shall we? Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions.". Or to keep it anonymous, click here. We located 9 sex offenders matching the name "Daniel Wells" in the US. A family tree was constructed that eventually led investigators to Wells. 8 maja 2022. daniel leonard wells pensacola Evidence suggested she had been raped, and they also discovered a blood-soaked blue towel by her head. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. 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. McKinley in Pensacola, Florida, on the first day of 1985. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions., [Mugshot via Pensacola Police Department], Have a tip we should know? Davidson was 18 months old at the time of the murder. 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. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on March 18 for the 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley. Uncover Daniel's photos, videos, and more , Personal details for Daniel may include . She was always his favorite," McCall said of this bittersweet day. 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. He was held without bond at Escambia County Jail and made his court appearance the following morning, where he professed his innocence. 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. "It seems that every couple of years a new lead would pop up and we would drop everything to run it down. 5 records for "Daniel Wells" in "Escambia County". 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. 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. There are 5 court records for "Daniel Wells" in "Escambia County". Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. 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. 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. Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. Daniel has lived with Polly in Pensacola, FL. Check out The Morning News to get the latest news, weather and traffic in Central Florida. ADVERTISEMENT "(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. Thats all moot now. "There are people out there who know (what happened). 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. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. At the point, the process has become kind of routine. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. Have a tip or story idea? The 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley, 23, will never go to trial. View their profile including current address, phone number 850-584-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. Lets begin then, shall we? 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. You may have heard that name before. 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. Counts may not reflect the number of records that will appear in search results. 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. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. Their mother, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee. 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. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions.. 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. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. 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. Their children and Tonyas son were at a late-night daycare facility, and it closed at 1:00 am. Around three and a half decades later, Pensacola police arrested Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, for Tonya's homicide. This was from an apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law&Crime. Past Addresses: Pensacola FL, Kansas City MO +4 more. 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. 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. Phone & Email (4) All Addresses (7) Family (3) 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. 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. Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic from Tonya's body and the crime scene. 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. UNLOCK PROFILE. 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. "I know it took a long time, but it was one of those cases we never gave up on.". 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. But DNA in a public database eventually linked McKinley's killer to Wells' family and then to him, police said. View property details and household demographic information related to income, investments, and interests. Daniel Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on . The investigation hit numerous dead ends over the years, lasting so long that retiring detectives had to pass it on to their successors. 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. In 1988, he was arrested on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution in 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. Name. [emailprotected]. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found dead in his cell at Escambia County Sheriff's Office in an apparent suicide Thursday morning. , it seems like we just have a tip we should know in Jay with Renee children Tonyas... Of death was determined to be strangulation, and it closed at 1:00 am from an self-inflicted. To live his life the last 35 years court records for `` Daniel Wells '' in `` County. Obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and DNA. 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