However, he was found dead inhis cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida on April 2, 2020. Their mother, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee. 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 just days before he was scheduled to make a court appearance in the case. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. 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. Phone Number: (816) 468-UYKW +3 phones. Daniel Wells was arrested in connection with the 1985 murder of Tonya McKinley in Florida. 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. Police credit Parabon NanoLabs with helping them break the case. Zaznacz stron. [emailprotected]. However, they could not find witnesses who had seen her leave the bar that night. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. Daniel Leonard Wells, age 50s, lives in Pensacola, FL. According to police sources, the alleged murderer had died from self-inflicted injuries. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted, officials said. Using that, they and Parabon made use of an open-source genealogy database, used it to locate distant relatives of the suspect, and finally found the defendant, officers said in the Pensacola News Journal report. 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. Lets begin then, shall we? 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 just days before he was scheduled to make a court appearance in the case. McKinleys son Tim Davidson Jr. called Wells a coward, adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the trial even started.. https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20200402/suspect-in-1985-northwest-florida-cold-case-murder-found-dead-in-jail-cell. Cold case investigators. Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. Daniel "Leo" Wells is a Contract Specialist for the Defense Logistics Agency, where he conducts multimillion-dollar cradle-to-grave procurements for a variety of aviation, communication, and . Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on March 18 for the 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley. From there, investigators said they found Wells and confirmed he was the killer after obtaining a discarded cigarette. 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. The investigators initially could not find the cause of death or the identity of the body. Emailus. Pensacola, FL View Cell Phone Number View Background Report. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. "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. The cutting-edge forensic technology helped authorities identify multiple people as distant cousins of the suspect. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. This home is the most recent known address for Daniel. ", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. We located 9 sex offenders matching the name "Daniel Wells" in the US. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. With the DNA from the cigarette butt, they were able to positively identify Wells' as the man who raped and murdered Tonya in 1985. At the point, the process has become kind of routine. (816) 468-.css-1y2reja{color:transparent;position:relative;z-index:12;text-shadow:0.1rem 0.1rem 0.6rem #089FE4;}LIYF. 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. Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. 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. DNA left at the scene of the crime helped locate distant relatives 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. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. 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. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. 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. 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. Cops said they confirmed he was their suspect by getting his DNA from a discarded cigarette. We did this time and time again. Email Address: See available information. 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. Click a city to find Daniel more easily. Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. IE 11 is not supported. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on . May 8, 2022 | In best courses to study in uk for masters | . 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. 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. 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. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wells had been found dead in his cell. 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. In 1988, he was arrested for solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. 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 has been charged with murder and sexual battery. 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. Phone Numbers. Search for profiles by email and username. Disclaimer: Reference to these media outlets or TV shows should not be construed to imply an endorsement or sponsorship of Spokeo or its products. 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. Court records did not indicate the outcome of that case. He wasnt going to ever just say what he did on his own.. 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. May go by: Dan Leonard Wells Age. Investigators nationwide say the genetics company have aided in solving cold cases. View property details and household demographic information related to income, investments, and interests. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions.. 9 people named Daniel Wells found in this area: includes Pensacola, Gulf Breeze and Milton. Daniel Leonard Wells. 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,. Their parting exchange was wishing each other New Year greetings, and Tonya stated she would see her the following morning. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. Phone & Email (4) All Addresses (7) Family (3) The case went nowhere for years, but officers said they used Parabon NanoLabs to help them break 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. "It seems that every couple of years a new lead would pop up and we would drop everything to run it down. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest . Court records did not indicate the outcome of that case. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. 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. Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. The arrest of Wells isnt an exception: cops say they found DNA at the scene of the crime. 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. Jeffrey M Gallagher, Michelle L Phillips, and three other persons are also associated with this address. The drag marks and absence of blood at the scene indicated the murder had been committed somewhere else. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. 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. Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. He got to have a family. She was later found dead at an empty lot. Past Addresses: Pensacola FL, Kansas City MO +4 more. . But for most of the time, they had no suspect in the killing of McKinley, who was survived by an 18-month-old son. Pensacola police make arrest in 35-year-old cold case murder using familial DNA, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. No suspects had been publicly named. 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. * Historical, vital, and court records and search results may require an additional purchase. . 8 maja 2022. daniel leonard wells pensacola "She can finally rest.". "Nothing could ever make up for losing my mom, but at least now we know what happened to her. In 1988, he was arrested on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. The 1985 killing of Tonya Ethridge McKinley, 23, has been solved, say police in Pensacola, Florida. "Each time, evil won, just out of reach," police said of the 35-year gap. Press J to jump to the feed. 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.". Name. She was always his favorite," McCall said of this bittersweet day. "(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. 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. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. "What is important is that no one forgot Tonya. "Until today. 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. was assaulted with a blunt instrument, causing blunt-force trauma to her head. 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