Daniel departed this 2,006 square foot home in 2003. 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. "What is important is that no one forgot Tonya. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. It wasn't immediately clear whether Wells had hired or been assigned an attorney, Wood said Thursday. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. The defendant got to live his life the last 35 years. Their mother, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee. Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. The investigation hit numerous dead ends over the years, lasting so long that retiring detectives had to pass it on to their successors. 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. PENSACOLA, Fla. -- A 57-year-old man has been arrested for the 1985 cold case murder of 23-year-oldTonya Ethridge McKinley in Pensacola. daniel leonard wells pensacola daniel leonard wells pensacola. Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. Assessor records link the name of Daniel Wells to thirteen properties, including . He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. 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. 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. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. In 1988, he was arrested for solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. Daniel Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida. Cold case investigators. "There are people out there who know (what happened). This was from an apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law&Crime. Uncover Daniel's photos, videos, and more , Personal details for Daniel may include . 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. 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. Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. Daniel has lived in a single family house in Liberty, MO with Mary. Click a city to find Daniel more easily. The arrest of Wells isnt an exception: cops say they found DNA at the scene of the crime. The investigators had retrieved semen, head hair, and pubic hair from Tonyas body and the crime scene. 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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. Detectives in Pensacola said "evil won" in the unsolved murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley "until today.". Contact info for Daniel Wells in Pensacola, Florida: Phone number, address lookup, email address, and social networking profiles on Spokeo, your people search engine for contact info & public records. The price to rent a two bedroom unit in the zip code 32526 is around . Have a tip or story idea? 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. 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. 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. 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. Past Addresses: Pensacola FL, Kansas City MO +4 more. (816) 468-.css-1y2reja{color:transparent;position:relative;z-index:12;text-shadow:0.1rem 0.1rem 0.6rem #089FE4;}LIYF. McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was seen alive early New Year's Day in 1985 at Darryl's Bar & Grille. Daniel and Jennifer have resided together in a single family house in Kansas City, MO. 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. At the point, the process has become kind of routine. 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. 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. Investigators were secretly following Wells on March 4 when he tossed a cigarette out of his car, according to an arrest warrant. Police credit Parabon NanoLabs with helping them break the case. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriffs office. 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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. He wasn't 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. However, they could not find witnesses who had seen her leave the bar that night. IE 11 is not supported. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. 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. The investigators initially could not find the cause of death or the identity of the body. They have also lived in Pensacola, FL and Gulf Breeze, FL. UNLOCK PROFILE. Lets begin then, shall we? "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. I'm positive of that.". Hes now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. 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. She recounted how they danced, met with friends, and partied till the late night hours of New Years Eve. His first hearing to face charges of first-degree. "(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. 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 . 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) got to live his life the last 35 years. 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. 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. Lets begin then, shall we? 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. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. 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. You may have heard that name before. Cops said they confirmed he was their suspect by getting his DNA from a discarded cigarette. Current Address: EWZU Cerny Rd, Pensacola, FL. The presence or absence of records for any individual is not a guarantee of any kind. 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. "It weighed a lot on him. She was half naked and had been strangled and sexually assaulted, Pensacola police officers said. 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. Explore the listing below to find Daniel's address, relatives, and other public records. A video appearance was scheduled for court to take place at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. A family tree was constructed that eventually led investigators to Wells. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions., [Mugshot via Pensacola Police Department], Have a tip we should know? Emailus. Check out The Morning News to get the latest news, weather and traffic in Central Florida. Daniel Leonard Wells' Arrest Photo (Image provided by Pensacola Police Department) Police needed him to discard something with DNA evidence, and eventually, an officer witnessed him tossing a cigarette butt. 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. His first hearing to face charges of first-degree. Find census, military, and other historical records.*. 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. [emailprotected]. We located 9 sex offenders matching the name "Daniel Wells" in the US. "I know it took a long time, but it was one of those cases we never gave up on.". The investigators interviewed several partygoers to learn the last time anyone had seen Tonya alive was around 1:15 am. "(Tonya) can rest now," Renee said after being told of Wells' arrest. Chuck Mallett, who led the investigation. We did this time and time again. 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. He got to have a family. 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. 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. Emailus. Today, the evil that took Tonya from her friends and family was arrested for her brutal murder.". If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. BREAKING: Daniel Wells -- recently arrested for the 1985 Pensacola New Year's murder of Tonya McKinley -- has committed suicide in jail, deputies confirm. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions.. 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. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 5 records for "Daniel Wells" in "Escambia County". Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wells had been found dead in his cell. Their children and Tonyas son were at a late-night daycare facility, and it closed at 1:00 am. 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. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. "This was a case that spanned three generations of detectives," said PPD Capt. Investigators nationwide say the genetics company have aided in solving cold cases. 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. 9 people named Daniel Wells found in this area: includes Pensacola, Gulf Breeze and Milton. 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. 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