Daniel departed this 2,006 square foot home in 2003. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. 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. Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. 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. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. 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. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. 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. Investigators nationwide say the genetics company have aided in solving cold cases. The 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley, 23, will never go to trial. Cold case investigators. ". daniel leonard wells pensacola daniel leonard wells pensacola. Lets begin then, shall we? "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. We located 9 sex offenders matching the name "Daniel Wells" in the US. Past Addresses: Pensacola FL, Kansas City MO +4 more. "(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. 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. 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,. Detectives in Pensacola said "evil won" in the unsolved murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley "until today.". Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriffs office. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. He was held without bond at Escambia County Jail and made his court appearance the following morning, where he professed his innocence. 3,876 court search results for people named "Daniel Wells" in the United States. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. He got to have a family. Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. He is being held in Escambia County jail. Today, the evil that took Tonya from her friends and family was arrested for her brutal murder.". Cops said they confirmed he was their suspect by getting his DNA from a discarded cigarette. The officers found the victims high heel shoes and her purse, containing her drivers license, a few blocks from the scene. He has been charged with murder and sexual battery. McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was seen alive early New Year's Day in 1985 at Darryl's Bar & Grille. Spokeo's database, while extensive, does not contain all U.S. warrant, arrest, court, or other related records. McKinleys son Tim Davidson Jr. called Wells a coward, adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the trial even started.. He was born on 1-06-1962. 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. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. We did this time and time again. Matthew Winkler Murder: Where is Mary Winkler Now. Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. 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. Daniel has lived in a single family house in Liberty, MO with Mary. 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. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. On Wednesday, 35 years later, Pensacola police made an arrest in the case: Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, is facing charges of. Daniel was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery. Records viewed by Law&Crime show that Wells, 57, pleaded not guilty March 24 and was set for an arraignment Wednesday. She had last been seen at a Pensacola bar shortly after the start of the new year. There are 5 court records for "Daniel Wells" in "Escambia County". 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. Powerful social search locates profiles on social networks, dating sites, online shopping, web forums, music platforms, etc. 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. 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. 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. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. Discover work experience, company details, and more. 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 is being held.. However, they could not find witnesses who had seen her leave the bar that night. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. We found 4 phone numbers and email addresses. The arrest of Wells isnt an exception: cops say they found DNA at the scene of the crime. Davidson was 18 months old at the time of the murder. According to the show, she and her husband reminded Tonya after midnight that it was time to pick up their children and head home. This was from an apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law&Crime. 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. Investigators were secretly following Wells on March 4 when he tossed a cigarette out of his car, according to an arrest warrant. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on . 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. ", Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. Daniel Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida. For thirty-five years.. 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. 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 . Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. 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. https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20200402/suspect-in-1985-northwest-florida-cold-case-murder-found-dead-in-jail-cell. 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. She said, Her (Tonyas) world revolved around her son.. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 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. "(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. The landline phone number 8165849629 is registered to Daniel Leonard Wells in Pensacola, FL at 5206 Cerny Rd. He wasn't going to ever just say what he did on his own. and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. "Nothing could ever make up for losing my mom, but at least now we know what happened to her. 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. Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. Current Address: EWZU Cerny Rd, Pensacola, FL. Name. A family tree was constructed that eventually led investigators to Wells. Daniel Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. . Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic hair from Tonya's body and the crime scene. She recounted how they danced, met with friends, and partied till the late night hours of New Years Eve. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. 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. . "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. Search for birth, death, marriage, divorce, US Census, and military records. Could not find witnesses who had seen her leave the bar that night Winkler Now daniel leonard wells pensacola. Was tested and matched DNA found at the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told &. With murder and first-degree sexual battery, and more divorce, US Census, and divorce genetics... 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