DNA evidence on discarded cigarette leads Florida authorities to killer in decades-old cold case

Daniel Wells was arrested on Wednesday and charged with sexual battery and the murder of 23-year-old Tonya McKinley, who was found dead on New Year's Day 35 years ago.

March 20, 2020

The DNA evidence found on a discarded cigarette has allowed authorities in Florida to arrest the suspected killer in a decades-old cold case.

Daniel Wells was arrested on Wednesday and charged with sexual battery and the murder of 23-year-old Tonya McKinley, who was found dead on New Year's Day 35 years ago. The young mother was last seen alive at a Pensacola bar around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, 1985, according to the Pensacola News Journal.

Her body, which was left partially naked, was discovered in a parking lot hours later by a family rushing their dog to the vet for emergency care. DNA evidence including sperm was collected at the scene, but authorities did not ever publicly name a suspect in the case.

Investigators said McKinley was strangled to death and sexually assaulted.

"Despite having a good bit of physical evidence and dozens of interviews, over time, the trail went cold," authorities said in a statement on Thursday.

"It seems every couple of years a new lead would pop up and we would drop everything and run it down. We did it time and time again. 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."