Florida cold case breakthroughs: Sheriff’s unit cracks two long-unsolved killings

Two Florida acold cases that person remained shrouded successful enigma for years person yet been solved, according to authorities. 

Both cases — a fatal stabbing successful 2007 and a fatal shooting successful 2022 — took spot successful Kissimmee and were solved by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office’s Cold Case Program, FOX 35 Orlando reported. 

The archetypal lawsuit began connected June 24, 2007, erstwhile 17-year-old De’Andre Nathaniel Wellnitz was reportedly attending a location enactment and was fatally stabbed successful the chest. The lawsuit ran acold conscionable respective months into the investigation. 

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De'Andre Nathaniel Wellnitz was stabbed to decease astatine a location enactment successful Osceola County, Florida connected June 24, 2007, with investigators ruling the incidental was successful self-defense aft cracking the 18-year-old acold case. (Osceola County Sheriff's Department)

In October 2024, investigators identified a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the sidesplitting and subsequently located the idiosyncratic successful Orlando earlier this year. 

In an interrogation with investigators, the idiosyncratic of involvement confirmed they attended the aforesaid enactment arsenic Wellnitz and had been deed during a fight. The idiosyncratic said helium picked up a adjacent room weapon and began waving it to support others from hitting him, according to investigators.

Investigators yet determined the idiosyncratic of involvement acted successful self-defense and declined to record charges. 

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Jommil Baez-Quinones was killed successful a shooting successful Osceola County, Fla., connected Feb. 23, 2022. (Osceola County Sheriff's Department)

"I admit the empathy that was shown arsenic good arsenic them being straightforward with each of the details," Wellnitz’s mother, Kelly McDonald said, according to FOX 35. "What it has done for maine has fixed maine closure… I'm capable to halt playing the communicative that I've played for 18 years implicit and implicit again successful my head. I'm capable to spot thing different. I'm capable to person bid now." 

McDonald added that she hopes different families who person experienced a akin nonaccomplishment tin besides person immoderate benignant of closure, "even if it’s not what you deliberation it should be." 

The 2nd lawsuit stemmed from the fatal shooting of Jommil Baez-Quinones, who was changeable aggregate times adjacent Indian Point Circle connected Feb. 23, 2022. 

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Luis Eluvar Gonzalez is charged with first-degree manslaughter with a limb and first-degree robbery with a firearm successful transportation to the 2022 shooting of De'Andre Nathaniel Wellnitz successful Osceola County, Florida. (Osceola County Sheriff's Department)

After investigators spent months exhausting each leads, the lawsuit yet ran cold. However, successful October 2024, authorities subsequently reopened the investigation. 

Luis Eluvar Gonzalez, 23, was identified arsenic a fishy and, with assistance from U.S. Marshals, was arrested by authorities. Gonzalez is charged with first-degree manslaughter with a limb and first-degree robbery with a firearm stemming from the decease of Baez-Quinones, according to FOX 35. 

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The sheriff’s Cold Case Program was formed successful 2024 and has solved 2 cases retired of the 32 that stay unsolved successful the county. 

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for comment.