Police "immediately stopped and recovered the cigarette butt," which had DNA matching semen taken off the victim's body, according to the warrant. 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. Name. was assaulted with a blunt instrument, causing blunt-force trauma to her head. 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. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. "She can finally rest.". Pensacola Police announced Thursday that Daniel Leonard Wells, of Pensacola, was arrested Wednesday and charged with homicide and sexual battery. She was always his favorite," McCall said of this bittersweet day. Investigators collected semen, head hair and pubic from Tonya's body and the crime scene. "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. This home is the most recent known address for Daniel. Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. Daniel Wells was arrested in connection with the 1985 murder of Tonya McKinley in Florida. 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. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal. The presence or absence of records for any individual is not a guarantee of any kind. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Emailus. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. The investigators had retrieved semen, head hair, and pubic hair from Tonyas body and the crime scene. 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. Daniel is related to Nicholas Lee Wells and Howard Snowden Wells as well as 3 additional people. But DNA in a public database eventually linked McKinley's killer to Wells' family and then to him, police said. Around three and a half decades later,Pensacola police arrested Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, for Tonyas homicide. 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. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriffs office. 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. 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. 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. Cops said they confirmed he was their suspect by getting his DNA from a discarded cigarette. IE 11 is not supported. 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. Daniel and Jennifer have resided together in a single family house in Kansas City, MO. No suspects had been publicly named. 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. The case went nowhere for years, but officers said they used Parabon NanoLabs to help them break the case. She said she did not have any more information to share. [Image of McKinley via Pensacola Police Department; mugshot of Wells via Escambia County], Have a tip we should know? The Escambia County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wells had been found dead in his cell. Daniel has lived in a single family house in Liberty, MO with Mary. No suspects had been publicly named. Daniel Leonard Wells' Arrest Photo (Image provided by Pensacola Police Department) Police needed him to discard something with DNA evidence, and eventually, an officer witnessed him tossing a cigarette butt. ADVERTISEMENT A video appearance was scheduled for court to take place at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. 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. We located 9 sex offenders matching the name "Daniel Wells" in the US. The price to rent a two bedroom unit in the zip code 32526 is around . 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. 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. She was later found in an empty lot half-naked, officers said. He got to have a family. Their mother, Laverne, lives in Jay with Renee. Uncover Daniel's photos, videos, and more , Personal details for Daniel may include . 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. When the emergency respondents arrived at the scene, they located the corpse lying next to the curb, with her pantyhose pulled down around her ankles and dress pulled up. He was found hanged in his cell early Thursday morning, according to authorities in a Pensacola News Journalreport. Daniel has lived with Polly in Pensacola, FL. McKinley, the mother of an 18-month-old boy, was seen alive early New Year's Day in 1985 at Darryl's Bar & Grille. We did this time and time again. 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. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. 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. Pensacola, FL View Full Details Phone Numbers. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest . 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. 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. Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. "It's frustrating for our family on a lot of levels because we waited so long to get justice. Pensacola; Daniel Leonard Wells; Daniel Leonard Wells, Age 60. aka Dan Wells, D L Wells. The arrest of Wells isnt an exception: cops say they found DNA at the scene of the crime. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Police credit Parabon NanoLabs with helping them break the case. He got to be around his children and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. Explore the listing below to find Daniel's address, relatives, and other public records. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Court records did not indicate the outcome of that case. I'm positive of that.". Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. Wells is being held without bond at Escambia County Jail and will make his first court appearance Thursday morning. "There are people out there who know (what happened). "Each time, evil won, just out of reach," police said of the 35-year gap. Arrest: Pensacola police make arrest in 35-year-old cold case murder using familial DNA. It was just a normal New Years Eve.. 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. He is being held.. You may have heard that name before. "Nothing could ever make up for losing my mom, but at least now we know what happened to her. He got to have a family. 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. Spokeo's database, while extensive, does not contain all U.S. warrant, arrest, court, or other related records. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. But for most of the time, they had no suspect in the killing of McKinley, who was survived by an 18-month-old son. ", Watch: PPD makes oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. . Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. Past Addresses: Pensacola FL, Kansas City MO +4 more. All rights reserved. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. Wells was identified . Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. For thirty-five years.. She had been fatally strangled, and sexually assaulted, police said. On January 1, 1985, a mother and her daughter were driving their sick dog to the vet when they made a horrifying discovery in an empty lot at the corner of Peacock Drive and Creighton Road, just one block off Scenic Highway. Davidson was 18 months old at the time of the murder. "Despite having a good bit of physical evidence and dozens of interviews, over time, the trail went cold," police said in a statement Thursday. He's now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. 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. Strangled to death and sexually assaulted, police said we know what happened ) up for my! Digital and published by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group a..., MO exception: cops say they found DNA at the crime scene DNA a! 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