daniel leonard wells pensacoladaniel leonard wells pensacola

Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. Investigators nationwide say the genetics company have aided in solving cold cases. 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. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. . She said she did not have any more information to share. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. ", Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics. daniel leonard wells pensacola daniel leonard wells pensacola. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. However, the cause of death was determined to be strangulation, and she was also. According to police sources, the alleged murderer had died from self-inflicted injuries. "It weighed a lot on him. 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 . We did this time and time again. Pensacola police make arrest in 35-year-old cold case murder using familial DNA, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He got to have a family. He is being held in Escambia County jail. Daniel Wells was arrested in connection with the 1985 murder of Tonya McKinley in Florida. A family tree was constructed that eventually led investigators to Wells. 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. He was set for a court appearance in the case on April 8 at 8:30 a.m. 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. 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. Court records did not indicate the outcome of that case. 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. This home is the most recent known address for Daniel. ", New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Scan this QR code to download the app now. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic from Tonya's body and the crime scene. 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,. Now, it seems like we just have a lot more unanswered questions., [Mugshot via Pensacola Police Department], Have a tip we should know? 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. 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. https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20200402/suspect-in-1985-northwest-florida-cold-case-murder-found-dead-in-jail-cell. Davidson was 18 months old at the time of the murder. View their profile including current address, phone number 850-584-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. The price to rent a two bedroom unit in the zip code 32526 is around . Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. 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. Tonya and Renee's father, Joe, died in April 2000. His first hearing to face charges of first-degree. Daniel Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida. 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. 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. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. 5 records for "Daniel Wells" in "Escambia County". Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on March 18 for the 1985 murder of Tonya Ethridge McKinley. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. 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. "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. 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. The arrest of Wells isnt an exception: cops say they found DNA at the scene of the crime. Wells, 57, was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department on . 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 had been strangled and sexually assaulted, officials said. "It's frustrating for our family on a lot of levels because we waited so long to get justice. Uncover Daniel's photos, videos, and more , Personal details for Daniel may include . If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. "This was a case that spanned three generations of detectives," said PPD Capt. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts We found 4 phone numbers and email addresses. Daniel departed this 2,006 square foot home in 2003. Daniel has lived with Polly in Pensacola, FL. . 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. May go by: Dan Leonard Wells Age. Uncover details about birth, marriage, and divorce. Check out The Morning News to get the latest news, weather and traffic in Central Florida. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. PENSACOLA, Fla. -- A 57-year-old man has been arrested for the 1985 cold case murder of 23-year-oldTonya Ethridge McKinley in Pensacola. "She can finally rest.". Around three and a half decades later,Pensacola police arrested Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, for Tonyas homicide. 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. [emailprotected]. I'm positive of that.". 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. Using that, they and Parabon made use of an open-source genealogy database, used it to locate distant relatives of the suspect, and finally found the defendant, officers said in the Pensacola News Journal report. The investigation hit numerous dead ends over the years, lasting so long that retiring detectives had to pass it on to their successors. 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. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. ADVERTISEMENT 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. Vanita reminisced how the 23-year-old dotted over her child, taking the toddler everywhere she went and trying to provide for all his needs. 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For thirty-five years.. 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 Leonard Wells, the defendant charged in her death, was found dead in his cell at the Escambia County Jail in 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. "(Tonya) can rest now," Renee said after being told of Wells' arrest. 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. The defendant got to live his life the last 35 years. Police credit Parabon NanoLabs with helping them break the case. "It seems that every couple of years a new lead would pop up and we would drop everything to run it down. According to the show, she and her husband reminded Tonya after midnight that it was time to pick up their children and head home. IE 11 is not supported. 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. 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. Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. Zaznacz stron. 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. He's now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. Spokeo's database, while extensive, does not contain all U.S. warrant, arrest, court, or other related records. 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. 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. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. 3,876 court search results for people named "Daniel Wells" in the United States. and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The57-year-old pleaded not guilty on March 24 and was set for an arraignment in the first week of April. According to court records, Wells was arrested in Pensacola in 1987 for battery and witness tampering, but the witness tampering charge was dropped after he pled no contest to the battery charge. 50s Location. 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. Their mother, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee. The authorities were able to establish a timeline when residents of the locality near the crime scene reported they were confident they did not see any corpse when they passed the parking lot at 2:00 am. The witness tampering charge was dropped after he pleaded no contest to the battery charge. 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. They have also lived in Pensacola, FL and Gulf Breeze, FL. Emailus. 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. 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. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. Records viewed by Law&Crime show that Wells, 57, pleaded not guilty March 24 and was set for an arraignment Wednesday. 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. 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. "(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. It wasn't immediately clear whether Wells had hired or been assigned an attorney, Wood said Thursday. McKinleys son Tim Davidson Jr. called Wells a coward, adding that the defendant didnt even wait until the trial even started.. His age is 60. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. Wells is being held without bond at the Escambia County jail. The case went nowhere for years, but officers said they used Parabon NanoLabs to help them break the case. 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 on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was responsible, cops say, according to The Pensacola News Journal. She was half naked and had been strangled and sexually assaulted, Pensacola police officers said. Lets begin then, shall we? He is being held.. Name. 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. However, they could not find witnesses who had seen her leave the bar that night. We identified 991 records related to "Daniel Wells" in the state of Florida. At the point, the process has become kind of routine. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriffs office. Wells was recently identified after a Virginia-based company working with the Pensacola Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ran a DNA sample from the crime scene through an open-source genealogy database and identified several distant cousins of the suspect.

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