DNA evidence from a discarded cigarette has led Florida police to arrest a man on suspicion of murdering a woman 35 years ago.

Daniel Wells, 57, was arrested and charged in Pensacola earlier this week for the murder of Tonya McKinley.

Ms McKinley was found strangled and sexually assaulted on New Year’s Day in 1985, leaving behind a baby son.

Her case has gone unsolved, but police say DNA from a public database linked Mr Wells to her murder in Pensacola.

"I didn't really know if this [arrest] would ever happen," Ms McKinley’s sister, Renee, told NBC News. "I didn't really think this would happen in my lifetime, not after 35 years."