Wade Wilson’s life now sits in a Florida judge’s hands after a jury recommended the death penalty for him after being convicted of two brutal murders.
Wilson, 30, killed Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, within hours of each other back in October 2019. He allegedly paid both women for sex and then strangled them to death, for which he was convicted just last month.
Florida law requires at least eight jurors to vote for the death penalty. Ten out of the 12 jurors at the Lee County Courthouse in Fort Myers voted for the death penalty last week for Ruiz’s murder. Nine out of 12 jurors voted the same for Melton’s murder.
Wilson’s tattooed face barely moved when the jury’s decision was announced, but he did appear to gulp several times.
Law & Crime
Judge Nicholas Thompson will ultimately decide Wilson’s fate on July 23. If Thompson does not sentence Wilson to death, he will spend life in prison.
Following the jury’s recommendation, Assistant State Attorney Sara Miller released the following statement:
“You know, you’re asking someone to take another life, and so it’s always a difficult thing. I think in this case it was a justified act given the horrific nature of this case. Both murders were especially heinous, atrocious, and cruel. He inflicted pain, and he showed utter indifference to her [Melton’s] life.”
“We have heard from many women who have been victimized by the defendant, but maybe you didn’t go forward on charges or for whatever reason didn’t find justice in the justice system,” Miller continued. “I think this win really ensures the safety of a lot of people.”
Local news station WINK News asked Wilson’s attorney, Kevin Shirley, whether his client’s slight reaction was a “gulp of shock” or “everything setting in?”
“I don’t know — Mr. Wilson’s kind of a complex individual. I don’t know [if] that had anything to do with shock. It might have been a final realization that this whole thing is almost resolved,” Shirley said.
Male inmates on death row in Florida are housed at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford. When a death warrant is signed, they are moved to Florida State Prison’s death row in Starke where their cells are just rooms away from the execution chamber.
Death row inmates are served three meals a day and can shower every-other day. They can be distinguished from other inmates by their orange t-shirts whereas other inmates wear blue shirts and pants.
Who are Wade Wilson’s victims?
Melton was remembered as a cat lover and great friend during the trial, according to News-Press. Her friend since high school, Stephanie Sailors, 41, testified that she and Melton lived in Colorado before moving to Cape Coral together and were servers at the same restaurant.
Melton’s cousin, Samantha Catomer, testified that Melton was the quick-witted godmother to her child who made everyone feel safe and understood, the outlet reported.
“Kristine will never experience motherhood, a role she was born to play,” Catomer said through tears.
Lee County Sheriff’s Department/Facebook
Ruiz was reported missing on Oct. 7. The bartender was walking to work at a nearby bar when Wilson approached her in a car he stole from Melton’s home, asking for directions. Ruiz got in the car where Wilson strangled her and “ran her over until she looked like spaghetti,” Wilson’s dad said his son admitted during his testimony. Ruiz’s body was found on October 10 in a field behind a Sam’s Club.
Ruiz was the mother of two sons: Brandon Cuellar, 29, and Zane Romero, 19.
Romero testified that his mother’s death happened just days before his debut in the high school marching band, which she was excited to see.
“I never got to see her in the crowd,” Romero said. “My mom will never get to see me get married.”
Ruiz is remembered by her coworkers as never missing a shift in her five years at the bar. Her former coworker, Linda Giancola, remembered her fallen friend in an interview with NBC 2 last week.
“Diane was the heartbeat of the bar,” Giancola said. “She always had everybody’s back. She just had that personality that was really magnifying. She has this really loud laugh that you could hear it like a mile away.”
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