"(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. Spokeo's database, while extensive, does not contain all U.S. warrant, arrest, court, or other related records. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. Cold case investigators. In 1988, he was arrested for solicitation of prostitution in Pensacola. According to the arrest report, there is a less than onein 700 billion chance that the DNA from the crime scene is a match to anyone other than Wells. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. Jeffrey M Gallagher, Michelle L Phillips, and three other persons are also associated with this address. She was later found dead at an empty lot. At the time of the incident, Tonya Ethridge McKinley and her 17-month-old son, Timothy, had moved in with her cousin, Vanita Biasco, to Pensacola in Escambia County, Florida, in late 1984, following a split with the infants father. 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. She had last been seen at a Pensacola bar shortly after the start of the new year. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriff's office. 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. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest . 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,. Phone & Email (4) All Addresses (7) Family (3) Hes now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. Phone Numbers. From there, investigators said they found Wells and confirmed he was the killer after obtaining a discarded cigarette. Explore the listing below to find Daniel's address, relatives, and other public records. 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. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. Powerful social search locates profiles on social networks, dating sites, online shopping, web forums, music platforms, etc. Daniel Leonard Wells. Evidence suggested she had been raped, and they also discovered a blood-soaked blue towel by her head. https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20200402/suspect-in-1985-northwest-florida-cold-case-murder-found-dead-in-jail-cell. Name. The cutting-edge forensic technology helped authorities identify multiple people as distant cousins of the suspect. Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. His first hearing to face charges of first-degree. 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 can finally rest.". If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. 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. PENSACOLA, Fla. -- A 57-year-old man has been arrested for the 1985 cold case murder of 23-year-oldTonya Ethridge McKinley in Pensacola. His first hearing to face charges of first-degree. Police surveillance teams then surreptitiously obtained his DNA from a discarded cigarette, which was tested and matched DNA found at the crime scene. Weve your back if youre interested in finding out more about the case and the killers identity. 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,. Cops said they confirmed he was their suspect by getting his DNA from a discarded cigarette. Daniel Leonard Wells, 57, was found hanged in his cell at the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning, according to the sheriffs office. 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. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. Davidson was 18 months old at the time of the murder. 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. With the DNA from the cigarette butt, they were able to positively identify Wells' as the man who raped and murdered Tonya in 1985. View their profile including current address, phone number 850-584-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. No suspects had been publicly named. 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, Vanita said the young mother was not yet ready to call it a night and requested to pick up her son on her behalf. 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. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. ", Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics. The investigators had retrieved semen, head hair, and pubic hair from Tonyas body and the crime scene. 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. 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. Results for this person or the person you are looking for are not guaranteed to appear in search results. 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. Disclaimer: Reference to these media outlets or TV shows should not be construed to imply an endorsement or sponsorship of Spokeo or its products. Arrest: Pensacola police make arrest in 35-year-old cold case murder using familial DNA. Phone Number: (816) 468-UYKW +3 phones. 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' 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. Court records viewed by Law&Crime show no attorney of record. The 1985 killing of Tonya Ethridge McKinley, 23, has been solved, say police in Pensacola, Florida. He's now charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree sexual battery. The arrest on Wednesday is the oldest cold-case arrest in Pensacola history. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. ", New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Scan this QR code to download the app now. May go by: Dan Leonard Wells Age. Court records did not indicate the outcome of that case. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted. However, he was found dead inhis cell at the Escambia County Jail in Florida on April 2, 2020. 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. Daniel moved out of this 3.5 bath home in 2016. "(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. 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"Each time, evil won, just out of reach," police said of the 35-year gap. 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. The witness tampering charge was dropped after he pleaded no contest to the battery charge. Current Address: EWZU Cerny Rd, Pensacola, FL. For thirty-five years.. 3,876 court search results for people named "Daniel Wells" in the United States. This was from an apparently self-inflicted injury, Escambia County Board of County Commissioners spokesperson Laura Coale told Law&Crime. 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. Phillips, and pubic hair from Tonyas body and the crime scene as cousins. 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