Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, is charged with homicide and sexual battery in the death of 23-year old Tonya . He's now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. 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. Court records did not indicate the outcome of that case. 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. With the DNA from the cigarette butt, they were able to positively identify Wells' as the man who raped and murdered Tonya in 1985. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. Phone Number: (816) 468-UYKW +3 phones. Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on . 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. 9 people named Daniel Wells found in this area: includes Pensacola, Gulf Breeze and Milton. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. 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. ", Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions.. "I know it took a long time, but it was one of those cases we never gave up on.". 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. 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. However, the cause of death was determined to be strangulation, and she was also. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. The 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley, 23, will never go to trial. "I know it took a long time, but it was one of those cases we never gave up on.". 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 officers found the victims high heel shoes and her purse, containing her drivers license, a few blocks from the scene. View property details and household demographic information related to income, investments, and interests. 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. Daniel Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida. McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was seen alive early New Years Day in 1985 at Darryls Bar & Grille. The witness tampering charge was dropped after he pleaded no contest to the battery charge. 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. There are 5 court records for "Daniel Wells" in "Escambia County". "She can finally rest.". The price to rent a two bedroom unit in the zip code 32526 is around . 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. 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. IE 11 is not supported. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. We located 9 sex offenders matching the name "Daniel Wells" in the US. Cold case investigators. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions., [Mugshot via Pensacola Police Department], Have a tip we should know? 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. We identified 991 records related to "Daniel Wells" in the state of Florida. The cutting-edge forensic technology helped authorities identify multiple people as distant cousins of the suspect. Records viewed by Law&Crime show that Wells, 57, pleaded not guilty March 24 and was set for an arraignment Wednesday. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. Daniel has lived in a single family house in Liberty, MO with Mary. "Until today. "(Tonya) can rest now," Renee said after being told of Wells' arrest. 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. 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"Each time, evil won, just out of reach," police said of the 35-year gap. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. 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. 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 is being held without bond at the Escambia County jail. 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. Daniel moved out of this 3.5 bath home in 2016. daniel leonard wells pensacola daniel leonard wells pensacola. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. Jeffrey M Gallagher, Michelle L Phillips, and three other persons are also associated with this address. 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. Have a tip or story idea? 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. Search for profiles by email and username. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. Investigators nationwide say the genetics company have aided in solving cold cases. View their profile including current address, phone number 850-584-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted, officials said. 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. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Daniel Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida. The investigation hit numerous dead ends over the years, lasting so long that retiring detectives had to pass it on to their successors. He was found hanged in his cell early Thursday morning, according to authorities in a Pensacola News Journalreport. Counts may not reflect the number of records that will appear in search results. Browse . No suspects had been publicly named. 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. We found 4 phone numbers and email addresses. 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. This home is the most recent known address for Daniel. However, forensic science was yet to evolve in 1985, and with the police having no leads or suspects, the case went cold. Spokeo's database, while extensive, does not contain all U.S. warrant, arrest, court, or other related records. 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