Current:Home > FinanceAlgosensey|'Heinous, atrocious and cruel': Man gets death penalty in random killings of Florida woman -Edge Finance Strategies
Algosensey|'Heinous, atrocious and cruel': Man gets death penalty in random killings of Florida woman
NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-08 09:25:23
A Florida judge on AlgosenseyTuesday sentenced a 30-year-old man to death for the random 2019 killings of two Southwest Florida women.
Wade Steven Wilson, reportedly tied to a white supremist gang, was found guilty this summer of charges including first-degree murder in the slayings of Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, of Cape Coral. A 12-member Lee County jury previously recommended he receive the death penalty for his crimes.
In Florida, juries recommend whether a convict should receive the death sentence, but the decision is ultimately up to a judge.
On Tuesday, 20th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Nicholas Thompson imposed the capitol sentence - one for each murders.
“The evidence showed both murders were heinous, atrocious and cruel, and that the second murder was cold, calculated and premeditated,” Thompson said during Wilson's sentencing hearing.
The defendant inflicted "serious physical and emotion pain to the victims" while on probation for felony convictions, the judge said.
Here's what to know about the Wilson's case:
Murder suspect capture in Tennessee:Memphis murder suspect crashes through ceiling as US Marshals search for him
Who is convicted felon Wade Wilson?
Wilson, of Fort Myers, was born to underage parents and given up for adoption. He grew up in the Tallahassee area before moving to Lee County.
He has voluminous tattoos on his face, including stitches, a swastika, and one that reads, 'glory' in cursive.
Wilson shares the shares his name with the alter ego of the Marvel character Deadpool.
2 Delta Air employees killed, 1 hurt:Tire explodes at Atlanta airport maintenance facility
When was Wade Wilson convicted of murder?
Wilson's weeks-long trial began June 1 with jury selection, and took place at the the Lee County Courthouse in Fort Myers.
The jury convicted him of six charges including two counts of first-degree murder June 12.
On June 25, 10 of the 12 jurors voted Wilson should be executed for killing Ruiz. Jurors voted nine to three in favor of the death penalty for Melton's slaying.
Until April 2023, Florida juries were required to unanimously vote for a death sentence recommendation. Last year Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill allowing the jury to recommend death with as few as eight votes.
Who were Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz?
According to trial testimony, Wilson met Melton, and a friend Oct. 7, 2019, at a Fort Myers bar and later in the evening, the trio visited Melton's Cape Coral home. After Melton's friend left, Wilson strangled Melton to death as she slept, stole her car, and then drove to meet his girlfriend, Melissa Montanez. After his girlfriend refused to get into the car, he assaulted her, but she managed to flee.
Not long after he drove back to Cape Coral, Wilson saw Ruiz walking to work along a street, pretended to ask her for directions, lured her into the car then attempted to strangle her. He then drove to an empty lot and attacked. When she tried to flee, Wilson attacked her, strangled then pushed her out of the car and running her over 10 to 20 times.
Her body was found in a field three days later, as vultures circled overhead, the News-Press, part of the USA TODAY Network reported, and after the murders, Wilson called his father Steven Testasecca several times and said he killed the woman. Testasecca contacted police and Wilson was arrested Oct. 8, 2019.
"He was excited," Testasecca testified in court, adding Wilson said he wanted to make Ruiz "look like spaghetti."
What was Wade Wilson convicted of?
Wilson found guilty of the following charges:
- First-degree murder (two counts)
- Grand theft
- Battery
- Burglary
- Petty theft
The condemned man also faces charges in unrelated crimes, including attempted escape from jail and drug charges.
Death penalty in the US:Which states still execute inmates, who has executed the most?
Wilson's alleged ties to white supremacist gang
According to court documents show, Wilson is connected to a white supremacy prison gang.
The prison gang was founded in the late 80s in the Florida prison system, according to the Anti-Defamation League, and is the largest in the state,
How many people are on death row in Florida?
Wilson now joins 279 people including two women on Florida's death row.
The most recent execution in The Sunshine State took place in October when the state executed Michael Zach for a woman's 1996 slaying.
When is Florida's next execution?
Florida's is set to execute 57-year-old Loran Cole by lethal injection on Thursday for the 1994 murder of an 18-year-old college student and rape of the victim's sister during a camping trip at Ocala National Forest in north central Florida.
A Marion County jury convicted Cole of killing John Edwards, a freshman at Florida State University and sexually assaulting Edward's then 21-year-old sister.
If Cole is put to death, it will mark the seventh time Florida executed a man since Aug. 8, 2019. Cole will also become the first inmate executed in Florida this year and the 13th in the nation if his lethal injection takes place.
Contributing: Stacey Henson, Tomas Rodriguez and Kim Luciani
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
veryGood! (75551)
Related
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- US traffic deaths fell 3.6% in 2023, the 2nd straight yearly drop. But nearly 41,000 people died
- Bruce Springsteen jokes about postponed tour during guest appearance on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'
- What is the best sleep position? An expert weighs in on the healthiest way to ensure rest
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Pregnant Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan Reveal They May Be Expecting Twin Babies
- Amid Haiti’s spiraling violence, Florida residents worry about family, friends in the island nation
- YMcoin Exchange: The New Frontier in Cryptocurrency Investment
- 'Most Whopper
- Shooting at a Walmart south of Atlanta left 1 dead and a girl wounded. Suspect is on the run.
Ranking
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- FBI says a driver rammed a vehicle into the front gate of its Atlanta office
- Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin get their say in presidential primaries
- Atlantic City mayor says search warrants involve ‘private family issue,’ not corruption
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Beyoncé pushes the confines of genre with 'Cowboy Carter.' Country will be better for it.
- Judge expands Trump’s gag order after ex-president’s social media posts about judge’s daughter
- Here’s how to protect yourself from common scams this tax season
Recommendation
Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
Jay Leno's Wife Mavis Does Not Recognize Him Amid Her Dementia Battle, Says Lawyer
Doja Cat responds to comments mocking a photo of her natural hair texture: 'Let's stop'
Take Center Stage At Coachella & Stagecoach With These Eye-Catching Festival Makeup Picks
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Search underway for 2 women in Oklahoma after suspicious disappearance
Gwyneth Paltrow Shares Rare Photo of Her 2 Kids Apple and Moses on Easter Vacation
Jay Leno's Wife Mavis Does Not Recognize Him Amid Her Dementia Battle, Says Lawyer