Florida cold case breakthroughs: Osceola sheriff's unit solves two long-unsolved killings

Two long-unsolved killings in Osceola County have been solved, authorities announced, through the Osceola County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Program. The two Kissimmee cases — the 2007 stabbing of 17-year-old De’Andre Nathaniel Wellnitz and the 2022 shooting death of Jommil Baez-Quinones — were closed after years of dead ends. The sheriff's office formed the Cold Case Program in 2024 and has solved two of the county's 32 remaining cold cases.

Wellnitz’s death occurred June 24, 2007, at a Kissimmee house party, and the case went cold within months. In October 2024 investigators identified a person of interest and tracked the individual to Orlando earlier this year. The person of interest told investigators they attended the same party and had been struck during a fight, then picked up a nearby kitchen knife and waved it to deter others from hitting him. Investigators ultimately determined the person acted in self-defense and declined to file charges. Wellnitz’s mother, Kelly McDonald, told FOX 35 she appreciated the empathy shown and that the development offered closure after 18 years.

Baez-Quinones was shot multiple times near Indian Point Circle on Feb. 23, 2022. After months of leads, the investigation went cold until October 2024, when investigators reopened it and identified Luis Eluvar Gonzalez, 23, as a suspect. With help from U.S. Marshals, Gonzalez was arrested. He is charged with first-degree manslaughter with a weapon and first-degree robbery with a firearm in connection with Baez-Quinones's death.

Officials describe the Cold Case Program as still in its early phase, but the two resolved cases illustrate its potential impact. The office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The program aims to re-examine historical evidence, pursue newly available leads, and bring families some measure of closure.