Florida killer Wade Wilson accused of masterminding escape attempt from jail
Wade Wilson, the Fort Myers man facing the death penalty in the murders of two Cape Coral women, still faces unrelated charges, including an escape attempt from jail.
On June 12, 2024, Wilson, 30, was convicted of murdering Kristine Melton, 35 and Diane Ruiz, 43, in 2019.
Wilson's jury voted in favor of the death penalty and sentencing is scheduled for July 23. It will be up to the trial judge to impose the death sentence.
Wilson, who shares his name with the alter ego of the Marvel character Deadpool, racked up additional charges while awaiting his murder trial in the Lee County Jail. Court records in the case connect Wilson to the prison-based white supremacy gang "Unforgiven."
In 2020, Wilson and his cellmate were accused of tampering with a window in their cell in an attempt to escape. Wilson, who was reportedly the primary planner and instigator of the escape effort, also tried to set up a getaway car.
Wilson also stands accused of being involved in a drug-smuggling scheme in 2023.
Here's what to know about Wade Wilson and his alleged crimes behind bars:
Wade Wilson murdered Kristine Melton, Diane Ruiz
On October 7, 2019, Wilson, then 25 years old, met Kristine Melton, 35, and her friend Stephanie Sailors at Buddah LIVE, a Fort Myers bar.
That morning, the trio ended up at Melton's Cape Coral home. After Sailors left, Wilson strangled Melton to death as she slept in her bed and stole her car.
A short time later, Wilson saw 43-year-old Diane Ruiz walking along a Cape Coral street, asked her for directions and lured her into the car.
When Ruiz tried to exit the car, Wilson attacked her, beating and strangling her before pushing 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.
After the murders, Wilson called his biological father Steven Testasecca several times confessing to and narrating the crimes. 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."
Wade Wilson sentence
On June 12, 2024, Wilson was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, grand theft, battery, burglary and petty theft.
During the penalty phase of the trial, the jury voted 9-3 and 10-2 in favor of the death penalty for the murder convictions.
Judge Nicholas Thompson will decide whether to impose the death sentence.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 23.
Is Wade Wilson on Florida death row?
Wilson is being held at the Lee County Jail.
Once Wilson is sentenced and the unrelated charges are resolved, he'll be transferred to the Florida prison system.
If the judge in his case confirms the death penalty, Wilson will join the 276 men on death row at Union Correctional Institution.
Wade Wilson's attempt to break out of jail
On September 30, 2020, deputies at the Lee County Jail received information about a possible escape attempt involving Wilson and his cellmate, Joseph Katz.
Court documents show Wade Steven Wilson's apparent attempt to arrange for a getaway vehicle for 1 or 2 a.m. the following morning via fellow inmates.
A note signed with Wilson's name was recovered. The note had reportedly been passed between Wilson and another inmate, who are both allegedly connected via the white supremacy prison gang "Unforgiven."
Deputies searched the 10x10 cell Wilson and Katz were housed in and found the window tampered with. The metal frame holding the window had been removed and there were several cracks in the thick security glass.
Witnesses at the jail reported hearing pounding noises from an upper-floor cell area for several days.
Wilson was charged with attempted escape and criminal mischief.
Wade Wilson drug charges
On April 20, 2023, a K9 conducting a free air sniff outside of the Lee County Jail located found two bags, each containing loose cigarettes, suspected narcotics, lighters and pills. Both bags tested positive for methamphetamine.
A source told authorities the drugs were brought by an inmate trusty. A trusty is an inmate considered trustworthy and reliable who is given special privileges and responsibilities.
The trusty reportedly gave the drugs to another trusty, who distributed them to Wilson and another inmate.
According to the arrest report, Wilson talked about narcotics with Bonnie Wiggins during a recorded jail phone call. Wilson also spoke to Wiggins on April 26, this time using another inmate's PIN to avoid monitoring.
An undercover operation that included surveillance of Wiggins and three other suspects outside of jail, resulted in the arrests of six people, including Wilson, on drug-related charges.
Unforgiven: White supremacist gang Wade Wilson has alleged ties to
According to the Anti-Defamation League, "Unforgiven" was founded in the Florida prison system in 1986 and is the largest white supremacist prison gang in the state.
Members of the Unforgiven reportedly use the numeric symbol 21-2-12, substituting letters for numbers.
The number 21 stands for U ("Unity"), 2 for B ("Brotherhood") and 12 for L ("Loyalty").
Contributing: Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Wade Wilson crimes: Convicted killer attempted escape from FL jail
