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. Phone Number: (816) 468-UYKW +3 phones. For thirty-five years.. 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 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,. McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was seen alive early New Year's Day in 1985 at Darryl's Bar & Grille. 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. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. She said, Her (Tonyas) world revolved around her son.. . A family tree was constructed that eventually led investigators to Wells. The cutting-edge forensic technology helped authorities identify multiple people as distant cousins of the suspect. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was seen alive early New Years Day in 1985 at Darryls Bar & Grille. Evidence suggested she had been raped, and they also discovered a blood-soaked blue towel by her head. 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. "There are people out there who know (what happened). Police "immediately stopped and recovered the cigarette butt," which had DNA matching semen taken off the victim's body, according to the warrant. 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. He is being held in Escambia County jail. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. Pensacola, FL View Full Details Phone Numbers. 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. Around three and a half decades later, Pensacola police arrested Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, for Tonya's homicide. UNLOCK PROFILE. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions. However, the cause of death was determined to be strangulation, and she was also. 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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. Wells' DNA is being offered to other nearby law enforcement agencies with unsolved sex crimes because he has lived locally the whole time, Pensacola police spokesman Mike Wood said. PENSACOLA, Fla. -- A 57-year-old man has been arrested for the 1985 cold case murder of 23-year-oldTonya Ethridge McKinley in Pensacola. 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. However, they could not find witnesses who had seen her leave the bar that night. 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. The 1985 killing of Tonya Ethridge McKinley, 23, has been solved, say police in Pensacola, Florida. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. The case went nowhere for years, but officers said they used Parabon NanoLabs to help them break the case. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. We identified 991 records related to "Daniel Wells" in the state of Florida. She was half naked and had been strangled and sexually assaulted, Pensacola police officers said. 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. She said she did not have any more information to share. 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. Records viewed by Law&Crime show that Wells, 57, pleaded not guilty March 24 and was set for an arraignment Wednesday. Matthew Winkler Murder: Where is Mary Winkler Now. According to police sources, the alleged murderer had died from self-inflicted injuries. Wells was identified . BREAKING: Daniel Wells -- recently arrested for the 1985 Pensacola New Year's murder of Tonya McKinley -- has committed suicide in jail, deputies confirm. 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 had been strangled and sexually assaulted, officials said. He was found hanged in his cell early Thursday morning, according to authorities in a Pensacola News Journalreport. However, the cause of death was determined to be strangulation, and she was alsosexually assaulted. We did this time and time again. "I didn't really think this would happen in my lifetime, not after 35 years.". . "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. Check out The Morning News to get the latest news, weather and traffic in Central Florida. 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. IE 11 is not supported. This was from an apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law&Crime. 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. He's now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. Lets begin then, shall we? Press J to jump to the feed. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. No suspects had been publicly named. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. 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. "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. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, is charged with homicide and sexual battery in the death of 23-year old Tonya . [emailprotected]. 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. 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. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. However, forensic science was yet to evolve in 1985, and with the police having no leads or suspects, the case went cold. The officers found the victims high heel shoes and her purse, containing her drivers license, a few blocks from the scene. His first hearing to face charges of first-degree. 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. You may have heard that name before. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. 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. 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. 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. I'm positive of that.". 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 . Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions., [Mugshot via Pensacola Police Department], Have a tip we should know? 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. 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, is facing charges of first-degree murder and first-degree sexual battery in the 1985 murder of 23-year-old Tonya Ethridge McKinley. 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