Florida cold case breakthroughs: Sheriff’s unit solves two long-unsolved killings in Kissimmee

Osceola County, Fla. — The Osceola County Sheriff's Office says its Cold Case Program has solved two long-unsolved Kissimmee killings, marking a milestone for a unit formed in 2024 to address aging homicide files. The agency said the two cases were reopened in October 2024 and were resolved this year after new evidence and renewed investigative work. The program has solved two of 32 cases still listed as unsolved in the county, according to authorities and reports from FOX 35 Orlando.

The first case centers on a fatal stabbing that occurred on June 24, 2007, when 17-year-old De’Andre Nathaniel Wellnitz was at a house party in Osceola County. Investigators initially ruled the incident as self-defense but the case went cold within months of the investigation. In October 2024, investigators identified a person of interest in the killing and located him in Orlando earlier this year. In interviews, the person of interest confirmed he attended the same party and had been involved in a fight; he said he grabbed a nearby kitchen knife and waved it to deter others from hitting him. Investigators ultimately determined the person of interest acted in self-defense and declined to file charges. Wellnitz’s mother, Kelly McDonald, told FOX 35 she appreciated the empathy shown and the straightforward briefing, adding that the development has given her closure and the chance to process her son’s death differently.

The second case involves the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Jommil Baez-Quinones near Indian Point Circle on February 23, 2022. After months of pursuing leads, the case went cold until investigators reopened it in October 2024. In the renewed inquiry, Luis Eluvar Gonzalez, 23, was identified as a suspect and was arrested with assistance from U.S. Marshals. Gonzalez is charged with first-degree manslaughter with a weapon and first-degree robbery with a firearm in connection with Baez-Quinones’s death.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office formed the Cold Case Program in 2024, and, to date, has closed two cases out of the county’s 32 unsolved homicide cases. The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement of note for families, Wellnitz’s relatives expressed relief that the investigation resumed and reached a conclusion after so many years, while Baez-Quinones’s family awaits further details from prosecutors and the judicial process.

Officials emphasized that the program’s approach relies on re-examining files with fresh information and modern investigative methods, and that the work will continue as new leads emerge and additional cases are reviewed. While the two Kissimmee cases have seen resolution, Osceola County remains with dozens of active leads and ongoing reviews as part of the Cold Case Program, according to authorities familiar with the initiative.