He wasnt going to ever just say what he did on his own.. "Nothing could ever make up for losing my mom, but at least now we know what happened to her. Their children and Tonyas son were at a late-night daycare facility, and it closed at 1:00 am. "She can finally rest.". "(Tonya) can rest now," Renee said after being told of Wells' arrest. However, they could not find witnesses who had seen her leave the bar that night. 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. "It's frustrating for our family on a lot of levels because we waited so long to get justice. . Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. 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. McKinley, 23, was last seen alive early New Years Day in 1985 at a restaurant. ", Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriffs office. 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. Lets begin then, shall we? 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. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. [emailprotected]. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. 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. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. Counts may not reflect the number of records that will appear in search results. Check out The Morning News to get the latest news, weather and traffic in Central Florida. 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. "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. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on . 8 maja 2022. daniel leonard wells pensacola "It weighed a lot on him. Their mother, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee. The investigators initially could not find the cause of death or the identity of the body. 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 landline phone number 8165849629 is registered to Daniel Leonard Wells in Pensacola, FL at 5206 Cerny Rd. She was always his favorite," McCall said of this bittersweet day. 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. Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic from Tonya's body and the crime scene. Daniel was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery. 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. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. She had last been seen at a Pensacola bar shortly after the start of the new year. 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. IE 11 is not supported. "This was a case that spanned three generations of detectives," said PPD Capt. Evidence suggested she had been raped, and they also discovered a blood-soaked blue towel by her head. She recounted how they danced, met with friends, and partied till the late night hours of New Years Eve. We found 4 phone numbers and email addresses. Police credit Parabon NanoLabs with helping them break the case. Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions.. Powerful social search locates profiles on social networks, dating sites, online shopping, web forums, music platforms, etc. For thirty-five years.. With the DNA from the cigarette butt, they were able to positively identify Wells' as the man who raped and murdered Tonya in 1985. According to court records, Wells was arrested in Pensacola in 1987 for battery and witness tampering, but the witness tampering charge was dropped after he pled no contest to the battery charge. However, he was found dead inhis cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida on April 2, 2020. He got to have a family. 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. His first hearing to face charges of first-degree. . Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. 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. "I know it took a long time, but it was one of those cases we never gave up on.". 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. Zaznacz stron. Lets begin then, shall we? Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. Click a city to find Daniel more easily. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions.". Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. He got to have a family. Disclaimer: Reference to these media outlets or TV shows should not be construed to imply an endorsement or sponsorship of Spokeo or its products. Explore the listing below to find Daniel's address, relatives, and other public records. 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. 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. Pensacola, FL View Full Details Phone Numbers. Press J to jump to the feed. 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. 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. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on March 18 for the 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley. However, the cause of death was determined to be strangulation, and she was also. 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. 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. ". Cops said they confirmed he was their suspect by getting his DNA from a discarded cigarette. They have also lived in Pensacola, FL and Gulf Breeze, FL. 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. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. 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. The 1985 killing of Tonya Ethridge McKinley, 23, has been solved, say police in Pensacola, Florida. Pensacola, FL View Cell Phone Number View Background Report. Wells is being held without bond at the Escambia County jail. and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on March 18 for the 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley. He got to have a family. He is being held.. There are 5 court records for "Daniel Wells" in "Escambia County". McKinleys son Tim Davidson Jr. called Wells a coward, adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the trial even started.. Current Address: EWZU Cerny Rd, Pensacola, FL. The price to rent a two bedroom unit in the zip code 32526 is around . 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 was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wells had been found dead in his cell. Name. He wasn't going to ever just say what he did on his own. A video appearance was scheduled for court to take place at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. He has been charged with murder and sexual battery. McKinley in Pensacola, Florida, on the first day of 1985. Investigators nationwide say the genetics company have aided in solving cold cases. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic hair from Tonya's body and the crime scene. She said she did not have any more information to share. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, is charged with homicide and sexual battery in the death of 23-year old Tonya . Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. Wells was identified . 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Chuck Mallett, who led the investigation. But DNA in a public database eventually linked McKinley's killer to Wells' family and then to him, police said. In 1988, he was arrested on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. He is being held in Escambia County jail. View their profile including current address, phone number 850-584-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. We did this time and time again. He was found hanged in his cell early Thursday morning, according to authorities in a Pensacola News Journalreport. ", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wells had been found dead in his cell. 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. "There are people out there who know (what happened). The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest . 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 investigators interviewed several partygoers to learn the last time anyone had seen Tonya alive was around 1:15 am. 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,. In 1988, he was arrested on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. 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. Cold case investigators. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal. But for most of the time, they had no suspect in the killing of McKinley, who was survived by an 18-month-old son. 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 leonard wells pensacola daniel leonard wells pensacola. UNLOCK PROFILE. 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. [Image of McKinley via Pensacola Police Department; mugshot of Wells via Escambia County], Have a tip we should know? 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. McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was seen alive early New Years Day in 1985 at Darryls Bar & Grille. Results for this person or the person you are looking for are not guaranteed to appear in search results. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. 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. Was their suspect by getting his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched found... 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