I'm positive of that.". View property details and household demographic information related to income, investments, and interests. The investigators interviewed several partygoers to learn the last time anyone had seen Tonya alive was around 1:15 am. Wells is being held without bond at the Escambia County jail. 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. 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. 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. However, he was found dead inhis cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida on April 2, 2020. "She can finally rest.". Police credit Parabon NanoLabs with helping them break the case. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. 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. Have a tip or story idea? Edited: Suspect in 35-year-old Pensacola cold case solved by familial DNA commits suicide in jail By Tony Adame Pensacola News Journal 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. 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. Name. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. The officers found the victims high heel shoes and her purse, containing her drivers license, a few blocks from the scene. McKinley in Pensacola, Florida, on the first day of 1985. . No suspects had been publicly named. Daniel departed this 2,006 square foot home in 2003. Daniel Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida. [emailprotected]. Have a tip or story idea? She said she did not have any more information to share. Landlines (4) (850 . Find census, military, and other historical records.*. . "What is important is that no one forgot Tonya. Additional court records revealed Wells was arrested in Pensacola in 1987 on battery and witness tampering charges. 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. Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Spokeo's database, while extensive, does not contain all U.S. warrant, arrest, court, or other related records. He's now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions.". Daniel moved out of this 3.5 bath home in 2016. 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. 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. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. Cops said they confirmed he was their suspect by getting his DNA from a discarded cigarette. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. 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. DNA evidence lifted from a discarded cigarette led Florida police to the man they believe killed a young mother 35 years ago, authorities said Thursday. 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. The presence or absence of records for any individual is not a guarantee of any kind. 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 is being held.. The arrest of Wells isnt an exception: cops say they found DNA at the scene of the crime. The Pensacola Police Department collaborated with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs to run a DNA sample recovered from the crime scene through an open-source genealogy database. 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. Press J to jump to the feed. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest . ". The Escambia County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wells had been found dead in his cell. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts 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. Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. 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. 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. 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Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. 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. When asked whether Tonya was disturbed by anyone or garnered unwanted attention from strangers, Vanita said, At least I did not see any such thing. He wasnt going to ever just say what he did on his own.. Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. It wasn't immediately clear whether Wells had hired or been assigned an attorney, Wood said Thursday. Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. Davidson was 18 months old at the time of the murder. Daniel is related to Nicholas Lee Wells and Howard Snowden Wells as well as 3 additional people. Search for profiles by email and username. "Until today. McKinleys son Tim Davidson Jr. called Wells a coward, adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the trial even started.. But DNA in a public database eventually linked McKinley's killer to Wells' family and then to him, police said. Click a city to find Daniel more easily. View their profile including current address, phone number 850-584-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. His first hearing to face charges of first-degree. 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. In 1988, he was arrested on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. At the point, the process has become kind of routine. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. There are 5 court records for "Daniel Wells" in "Escambia County". 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. 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. His first hearing to face charges of first-degree. In 1988, he was arrested for solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. 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. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on . The investigators had retrieved semen, head hair, and pubic hair from Tonyas body and the crime scene. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. 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. Lets begin then, shall we? 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. 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. This home is the most recent known address for Daniel. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. May go by: Dan Leonard Wells Age. 3,876 court search results for people named "Daniel Wells" in the United States. "(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. We found 4 phone numbers and email addresses. Search for birth, death, marriage, divorce, US Census, and military records. "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. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. Current Address: EWZU Cerny Rd, Pensacola, FL. The price to rent a two bedroom unit in the zip code 32526 is around . The victims high heel shoes and her purse, containing her drivers license, division... 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