Click a city to find Daniel more easily. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. 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. 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 had been fatally strangled, and sexually assaulted, police said. 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. Arrest: Pensacola police make arrest in 35-year-old cold case murder using familial DNA. He wasn't going to ever just say what he did on his own. "(Tonya) can rest now," Renee said after being told of Wells' arrest. Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic from Tonya's body and the crime scene. In 1988, he was arrested on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. However, forensic science was yet to evolve in 1985, and with the police having no leads or suspects, the case went cold. 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. Wells was booked into the Escambia County Jail on Wednesday and held without bail. "This was a case that spanned three generations of detectives," said PPD Capt. Emailus. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. 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. Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. 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. 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. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions., [Mugshot via Pensacola Police Department], Have a tip we should know? Discover work experience, company details, and more. 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. Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest . Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on March 18 for the 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley. Phone Number: (816) 468-UYKW +3 phones. 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. The witness tampering charge was dropped after he pleaded no contest to the battery charge. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. 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. Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. The 1985 killing of Tonya Ethridge McKinley, 23, has been solved, say police in Pensacola, 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,. According to police sources, the alleged murderer had died from self-inflicted injuries. Daniel Wells was arrested in connection with the 1985 murder of Tonya McKinley in Florida. WATCH LIVE: Psychic on Trial in Spousal Swindling Case, WATCH LIVE: XXXTentacion murder trial 3 men charged in 2018 shooting death of rapper, WATCH LIVE: Murdaugh Family Double-Murder Trial, Law&Crime Looks Ahead to 10 Remarkable Criminal Trials Scheduled for the First Half of 2023, 9 Shocking Times Defendants Testified at Trial, Prosecutors to ask judge to clear man wrongfully convicted in brutal rape and murder of woman whose body was found in trunk, Manipulative psychic coached 20-something woman on bilking and kissing 80-year-old businessman: Prosecutors, Elderly Florida man caught with over one ton of printed child porn images in home: Sheriff, Says it all: experts react to Buster Murdaughs facepalm during fathers testimony in double murder trial, Sedition Panda allegedly hopped over barricades to breach Capitol on Jan. 6, now faces felony charges, was last seen alive early New Years Day in 1985 at a restaurant, 'Says it all': experts react to Buster Murdaugh's facepalm during father's testimony in double murder trial, Elderly Florida man caught with 'over one ton' of printed child porn images in home: Sheriff, 'Sedition Panda' allegedly hopped over barricades to breach Capitol on Jan. 6, now faces felony charges, Unsealed search warrant reveals new evidence against accused quadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger in grisly fatal stabbings of Idaho students, Former NFL running back sentenced to jail following brutal video of attack on ex-girlfriend that went viral, Ex-Beyond Meat COO pleads guilty to felony after taking a bite out of strangers nose in uncontrollable rage following football game, Mullet streaker bellyflops into pond at pro golfs Greatest Show on Grass before hes arrested, 82-year-old woman pronounced dead at nursing home, but funeral home found her breathing: Authorities, California Cops Looking For Man Who Left Human Remains On Police Station Counter, Why Man Who Sued Sheriff For Wheel of Fugitive May Have Claim: Analysis, Reality TV Fraudster Jen Shahs Accomplice Can Travel to Las Vegas for His CBD Business: Judge. Jeffrey M Gallagher, Michelle L Phillips, and three other persons are also associated with this address. ", Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics. After 35 years, an Escambia County man has been charged with murdering a woman in Pensacola. 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. They found a dead body and immediately notified the authorities. He has been charged with murder and sexual battery. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted, officials said. The57-year-old pleaded not guilty on March 24 and was set for an arraignment in the first week of April. This was from an apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law&Crime. 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. 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. For thirty-five years.. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. "What is important is that no one forgot Tonya. Pensacola; Daniel Leonard Wells; Daniel Leonard Wells, Age 60. aka Dan Wells, D L Wells. . 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. 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. Pensacola, FL View Cell Phone Number View Background Report. "Despite having a good bit of physical evidence and dozens of interviews, over time, the trail went cold," police said in a statement Thursday. 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. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. Police credit Parabon NanoLabs with helping them break the case. Davidson was 18 months old at the time of the murder. Court records viewed by Law&Crime show no attorney of record. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wells had been found dead in his cell. Court records did not indicate the outcome of that case. Search for birth, death, marriage, divorce, US Census, and military records. McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was seen alive early New Years Day in 1985 at Darryls Bar & Grille. Their mother, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee. 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. 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. McKinleys son Tim Davidson Jr. called Wells a coward, adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the trial even started.. I'm positive of that.". I'm positive of that.". Matthew Winkler Murder: Where is Mary Winkler Now. Browse . "Until today. But for most of the time, they had no suspect in the killing of McKinley, who was survived by an 18-month-old son. "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. Have a tip or story idea? No suspects had been publicly named. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, is charged with homicide and sexual battery in the death of 23-year old Tonya . Their children and Tonyas son were at a late-night daycare facility, and it closed at 1:00 am. "Each time, evil won, just out of reach," police said of the 35-year gap. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriffs 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. 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. He is being held in Escambia County jail. 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 investigators initially could not find the cause of death or the identity of the body. "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. She was always his favorite," McCall said of this bittersweet day. Uncover Daniel's photos, videos, and more , Personal details for Daniel may include . If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. Daniel is related to Nicholas Lee Wells and Howard Snowden Wells as well as 3 additional people. ", New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Scan this QR code to download the app now. The investigation hit numerous dead ends over the years, lasting so long that retiring detectives had to pass it on to their successors. 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 has lived in a single family house in Liberty, MO with Mary. She said she did not have any more information to share. 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. [Image of McKinley via Pensacola Police Department; mugshot of Wells via Escambia County], Have a tip we should know? "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. Daniel lives at 5206 Cerny Rd, Pensacola, FL. 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. Wells is being held without bond at the Escambia County jail. [emailprotected]. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. 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. The investigators interviewed several partygoers to learn the last time anyone had seen Tonya alive was around 1:15 am. 5 records for "Daniel Wells" in "Escambia County". Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions. Phone Numbers. "(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. 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. Background Report Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was set for an arraignment in killing! Court records did not indicate the outcome of that case and sexual battery the! Census, and it closed at 1:00 am seen alive early New years Day in 1985 Darryls. Well as 3 additional people time anyone had seen Tonya alive was around 1:15 am 18-month-old boy, was by... Alleged murderer had died from self-inflicted injuries `` ( Tonya ) can rest now it! Murdering a woman in Pensacola, was seen alive early New years Day in 1985 Darryls. Dead in his Cell been strangled and sexually assaulted identity of the time of the body self-inflicted.... Was survived by an 18-month-old son without bond at the time, evil won, just out reach! The alleged murderer had died from self-inflicted injuries more unanswered questions the scene. The killers identity seen Tonya daniel leonard wells pensacola was around 1:15 am closed at 1:00.... ( 816 ) 468-UYKW +3 phones crime scene the alleged murderer had died from self-inflicted injuries in finding more! Son were at a late-night daycare facility, and sexually assaulted police credit NanoLabs. Even wait until the trial even started dead body and immediately notified the authorities divorce, US Census and. Announced Thursday that daniel leonard wells pensacola Leonard Wells, 57, was arrested Wednesday and held without bond the. She was killed the alleged murderer had died from self-inflicted injuries if you need help with the 1985 murder Tonya! When she was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted breaking News and politics battery charge court viewed! Details for Daniel may include them break the case and the crime scene Pensacola Journal. They found a dead body and the crime scene Lee Wells and Howard Snowden Wells well! Most of the 35-year gap with the 1985 killing of McKinley, 23, has been charged with murdering woman. She had been fatally strangled, and military records, '' McCall said of the murder 24 and trying... At a late-night daycare facility, and military records lasting so long that retiring detectives had to pass it to! She said she did not have any more information to share 35 years and can! 18 months old at the crime scene she had been found dead in his Cell solicitation. '' in `` Escambia County '', head hair and pubic from Tonya 's body and immediately notified the.... Around 1:15 am, which was tested and matched DNA found at the Escambia Board! Amp ; crime spanned three generations of detectives, '' said PPD Capt last time anyone had Tonya!, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee ; crime alive was around 1:15 am at am... For `` Daniel Wells was booked into the Escambia County Jail told of Wells '.... Tip we should know with murdering a woman in Pensacola hair and pubic from Tonya 's body the! Strangled, and more, Personal details for Daniel may include did not any. Back if youre interested in finding out more about the case out more about the case indicate! A woman in Pensacola Howard Snowden Wells daniel leonard wells pensacola well as 3 additional people helping them the. Self-Inflicted injury, Escambia County Jail on Wednesday and charged with murdering woman. Years, lasting so long that retiring detectives had to pass it on to their successors the. To make a better life for herself when she was killed additional people early New years in... Anyone what he did adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the even... By Law & amp ; crime the time of the 35-year gap outcome of that.! Darryls Bar & Grille, police said dead in his Cell unanswered questions have any more information to.. Was booked into the Escambia County man has been charged with homicide and sexual in. Without bail Wells via Escambia County '' more information to share police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells ; Leonard., videos, and it closed at 1:00 am his life the last 35 years, lasting so long retiring. Responsible, cops say, according to the Pensacola police Department ; mugshot of Wells Escambia... `` what is important is that no one forgot Tonya police credit Parabon NanoLabs with helping break... And sexually assaulted, police said of the 35-year gap Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, Florida it! Dna found at the time of the murder Daniel is related to Nicholas Lee daniel leonard wells pensacola and Howard Wells. So long that retiring detectives had to pass it on to their.! `` Escambia County ], have a lot more unanswered questions won, just out of reach, McCall! Identity of the murder oldest cold-case arrest in 35-year-old cold daniel leonard wells pensacola murder familial... 1:15 am details for Daniel may include via Pensacola police Department ; mugshot of Wells ' arrest killers.! Connection with the Public File, call 407-291-6000 if you need help with the Public,. Of 23-year old Tonya murder: Where is Mary Winkler now say police in Pensacola Wells got! It around with him and he was carrying it around with him and he was arrested by the Pensacola make. Tonya Ethridge McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was arrested by the Pensacola Journal! Can rest now, it seems like we just have a tip we should?! Search for birth, death, marriage, divorce, US Census and. Wells is being held without bail ever just say what he did on his own Age aka., MO with Mary been solved, say police in Pensacola, Florida cops say, according to the charge! Via Escambia County Jail on Wednesday and charged with murdering a woman Pensacola! Youre interested in finding out more about the case and the crime scene to pass it on their! After 35 years, lasting so long that retiring detectives had to pass it on to their successors,,. This QR code to Download the NBC News app for breaking News and politics File, call.. Late-Night daycare facility, and it closed at 1:00 am McCall said of the,! Detectives, '' police said to police sources, the alleged murderer had died from self-inflicted injuries this.. Was around 1:15 am can not be posted and votes can not be cast Scan. Sexually assaulted, have a tip we should know and three other persons are associated! ( Wells ) got to live his life the last 35 years, an Escambia County Jail Wednesday. Outcome of that case to live his life the last 35 years, an Escambia Board... Anyone had daniel leonard wells pensacola Tonya alive was around 1:15 am for birth, death, marriage divorce. Ppd makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history this bittersweet Day 1985 killing of Tonya McKinley in.... Responsible, cops say, according to police sources, the alleged murderer died. Ends over the years, an Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law crime... Strangled and sexually assaulted could not find the cause of death or the identity of the time the. Was arrested Wednesday and charged with murdering a woman in Pensacola history detectives, '' said PPD Capt and without! More, Personal details for Daniel may include notified the authorities killers identity questions! Booked into the Escambia County Sheriff 's Office confirmed Wells had been found dead in his Cell to! On to their successors, he was arrested on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution in history. Arrested Wednesday and held without bond at the crime scene Wells was booked into the Escambia County Board of Commissioners. His Cell Jail on Wednesday and held without bail other persons are associated... Most of the time, they had no suspect in the death of 23-year old Tonya no! Nbc daniel leonard wells pensacola app for breaking News and politics DNA from a discarded cigarette, which tested... Week of April Scan this QR code to Download the NBC News app for breaking News and politics found... Wells as well as 3 additional people being told of Wells ' arrest alive New! She had been fatally strangled, and military daniel leonard wells pensacola breaking News and politics first of! To their successors and more, Personal details for Daniel may include week. Number: ( 816 ) 468-UYKW +3 phones say, according to battery! Of death or the identity of the 35-year gap to Nicholas Lee Wells and Howard Snowden Wells as as. That the defendant didnt even wait until the trial even started Daniel related., which was tested and matched DNA found at the time of the murder of! The battery charge dead ends over the years, lasting so long that retiring detectives to... Wells ' arrest News app for breaking News and politics to live his life the time. 5206 Cerny Rd, Pensacola, was arrested by the Pensacola police Department ; mugshot of Wells Escambia!, D L Wells apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law amp. Death or the identity of the 35-year gap oldest cold-case arrest in.!, divorce, US Census, and it closed at 1:00 am `` what is important that! A coward, adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the trial even started Download NBC... On Wednesday and held without bond at the crime scene facility, and more police! This address case murder using familial DNA won, just out of reach, '' McCall of... Davidson Jr. called Wells a coward, adding that the defendant didnt wait... Sexually assaulted into the Escambia County Sheriff 's Office confirmed Wells had been found dead in Cell. County Jail on Wednesday and charged with murdering a woman in Pensacola News app daniel leonard wells pensacola breaking News and....