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.". Powered by WordPress.com VIP. This was from an apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law&Crime. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. "She can finally rest.". "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. He was born on 1-06-1962. ", Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics. Investigators nationwide say the genetics company have aided in solving cold cases. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. Around three and a half decades later,Pensacola police arrested Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, for Tonyas homicide. This was from an apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law&Crime. He is being held in Escambia County jail. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. He was found hanged in his cell early Thursday morning, according to authorities in a Pensacola News Journalreport. Search for profiles by email and username. 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. 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. The arrest of Wells isnt an exception: cops say they found DNA at the scene of the crime. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found dead in his cell at Escambia County Sheriff's Office in an apparent suicide Thursday morning. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. She had been fatally strangled, and sexually assaulted, police said. Additional court records revealed Wells was arrested in Pensacola in 1987 on battery and witness tampering charges. Their mother, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee. Name. BREAKING: Daniel Wells -- recently arrested for the 1985 Pensacola New Year's murder of Tonya McKinley -- has committed suicide in jail, deputies confirm. McKinleys son Tim Davidson Jr. called Wells a coward, adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the trial even started.. ADVERTISEMENT Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. Daniel Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida. . 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. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. She said she did not have any more information to share. "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. Court records did not indicate the outcome of that case. Its frustrating for our family on a lot of levels because we waited so long to get justice, he said. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. 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. Court records viewed by Law&Crime show no attorney of record. Orlando police used the method in November 2018 to identify a suspect in the 2001 murder of Christine Franke and arrested Benjamin Holmes for first-degree murder. Moreover, the winding roads and complex layout of the neighborhood convinced the cops that the killer hailed from the local community. According to police reports, surveillance teams obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched with DNA found at the crime scene. She was half naked and had been strangled and sexually assaulted, Pensacola police officers said. But for most of the time, they had no suspect in the killing of McKinley, who was survived by an 18-month-old son. 8 maja 2022. daniel leonard wells pensacola Daniel Leonard Wells. We found 4 phone numbers and email addresses. The investigators initially could not find the cause of death or the identity of the body. We did this time and time again. 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. "(Tonya) can rest now," Renee said after being told of Wells' arrest. "Each time, evil won, just out of reach," police said of the 35-year gap. 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 investigation hit numerous dead ends over the years, lasting so long that retiring detectives had to pass it on to their successors. Daniel was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriffs office. 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. At the point, the process has become kind of routine. 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 and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. 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. 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. Pensacola police make arrest in 35-year-old cold case murder using familial DNA, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. 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. Landlines (4) (850) 584-9629 (816) 584 . The Escambia County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wells had been found dead in his cell. 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. 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. 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. 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. I'm positive of that.". Their parting exchange was wishing each other New Year greetings, and Tonya stated she would see her the following morning. "It seems that every couple of years a new lead would pop up and we would drop everything to run it down. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Daniel Leonard Wells, age 50s, lives in Pensacola, FL. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions., [Mugshot via Pensacola Police Department], Have a tip we should know? Have a tip or story idea? 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. Check out The Morning News to get the latest news, weather and traffic in Central Florida. 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. ". View their profile including current address, phone number 850-584-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. Phone Number: (816) 468-UYKW +3 phones. The cutting-edge forensic technology helped authorities identify multiple people as distant cousins of the 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. Browse . Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal. 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. 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. According to the show, she and her husband reminded Tonya after midnight that it was time to pick up their children and head home. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. He wasn't going to ever just say what he did on his own. The investigators had retrieved semen, head hair, and pubic hair from Tonyas body and the crime scene. "Despite having a good bit of physical evidence and dozens of interviews, over time, the trail went cold," police said in a statement Thursday. Daniel has lived with Polly in Pensacola, FL. Daniel departed this 2,006 square foot home in 2003. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. "There are people out there who know (what happened). You may have heard that name before. Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic hair from Tonya's body and the crime scene. Records viewed by Law&Crime show that Wells, 57, pleaded not guilty March 24 and was set for an arraignment Wednesday. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 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. View property details and household demographic information related to income, investments, and interests. Police credit Parabon NanoLabs with helping them break the case. and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Have a tip or story idea? ", New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Scan this QR code to download the app now. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. He wasnt going to ever just say what he did on his own.. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. 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 . Justice, he said happened ) isnt an exception: cops say, to. Responsible, cops say, according to the Pensacola News Journal lived with Polly in,... 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