'A lot of it is a blur': Victims' son, fiance, best friend speak at Wade Wilson trial

The best friend of Kristine Melton, one of two Cape Coral women murdered in 2019, sobbed, gasped and dried tears as she testified in the capital murder trial for the accused killer.

Wade Wilson, 30, is charged with the first-degree murder of Melton, 35; grand theft of Melton's car; battery on Melissa Montanez, 41; first-degree murder of Diane Ruiz, 43; burglary of a dwelling belonging to Kent Amlin or Fannie Amlin; and petty theft from Kent Amlin or Fannie Amlin.

The first day of testimony began after Lee Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson dismissed two jurors for undisclosed reasons.

A Lee County grand jury indicted Wilson in November 2019. He has been at the Lee County Jail since October 2019.

Stephanie Sailors, 41, of Cape Coral, said she and Melton were friends since high school. They lived together in Colorado before they moved to Cape Coral and were waitresses at the same restaurant.

Melton lived alone in a duplex and had a cat, Sailors recalled.

As Sailors began to describe the events that unfolded the last night she saw Melton alive, she said they both took an Uber on Oct. 6, 2019, to Buddha LIVE, 12701 McGregor Blvd., in Fort Myers.

Wade Wilson trial: 'Absolutely not': State says no offer extended to Wade Wilson, accused in double 2019 murder

"There was live music there that night, so we wanted to go see a band play," Sailors said. It was a Sunday night.

Sailors indicated there was nothing "out of the ordinary" at the bar.

Toward the end of the night, as they walked to the upstairs bar, Sailors said, Wilson jumped into their path and introduced himself.

"Friendly, charming," are the adjectives Sailors used in court to describe Wilson that night. Wilson introduced himself as "JR" and did not have facial tattoos at the time, Monday's testimony uncovered. Wilson has "numerous and varied tattoos" on his face, including "stitches," swastikas, and other designs.

"Everybody was cheerful, intoxicated," Sailors said. "There was nothing scary." Despite Assistant State Attorney Sara Miller asking repeated times for reassurance, Sailors said Wilson did not raise any red flags that night.

Sailors said that after the live-music bar closed down for the night, she, Melton, Wilson and another man they had met that night, Jayson Shepard, 42, drove to Shepard's home, where they spent several hours.

Monday's testimony revealed that while Wilson, Melton and Sailors stayed at Shepard's place, Wilson and Melton had a "consensual" sexual encounter.

When Melton, Sailors and Wilson, who was behind the wheel, attempted to leave Shepard's home during the early morning hours Oct. 7, 2019, Wilson had trouble driving the stick shift car. Eventually, the three took an Uber to Melton's apartment.

Before Sailors left to take her son to school that Monday and drive to work, she said, she hugged Melton and said, "See you tomorrow."

That would not happen, she said.

Sailors said she attempted to check in with Melton via text message several times that day, but was unsuccessful. Melton was not scheduled to work, leading Sailors to believe her friend might have been sleeping.

She said her suspicion grew when she received a call from Cape Coral police, although she was cautioned not to regurgitate the contents of that call, citing hearsay.

"It was devastating," Sailors said of when she learned of Melton's death. She then went to the Cape Coral police headquarters to provide a statement to authorities.

After both sides dismissed Sailors, they called Jayson Shepard — the man Melton, Sailors and Wilson met at the live-music bar.

Shepard, 42, said he, like Melton and Sailors, did not know Wilson and met him that night. He described Wilson as "cool."

As Miller continued to ask Shepard questions on the stand, Shepard said he confronted Wilson over the loud noise the attempted maneuvers with the stick shift car generated.

Shepard said Wilson left his cellphone at his place. Detectives retrieved the device when they inquired about Melton's killing.

Authorities also collected DNA samples from Shepard.

Wade Wilson wandered shirtless, covered in blood

Josh Lukitsch, 39, owner of Matteo Graphics, 2309 Hancock Bridge Pkwy., said Wilson ran to his business hours after the Melton's murder covered in blood and missing "a couple of teeth."

Lukitsch said Wilson backed up into one of the buildings and approached him, trying to get "a bus ticket, plane ticket or something to leave town."

"It was a normal business day," Lukitsch said, despite the unusual encounter.

Lukitsch described Wilson's demeanor as "frantic." The business owner said Wilson continued to "talk crazy," saying he killed someone.

A 911 call shows Lukitsch alerted dispatchers of his encounter and how Wilson confessed to Melton's killing.

"He was pacing around, kind of manic," Lukitsch told authorities of Wilson.

Victim says Wade Wilson stole her car

Montanez, who Wilson is accused of battering and stealing from, was among those who testified Monday afternoon.

She accused Wilson of stealing her $80,000 car, although she testified she lent her car keys to him that day, adding that she does not have room for them in her pockets.

Montanez said before Wilson left in her car he insisted at least three times she stop by a "stranger's" home. She said she declined all the attempts.

As she described her interaction with Wilson and his appearance at the time, she described his eyes as "black holes."

"There's nothing behind those eyes," she said.

Son, fiance recall last interaction with Diane Ruiz

Ruiz's son, Brandon Cuellar, sat along the fourth row with at least four other relatives since opening statements began Monday.

Cuellar, 29, told the court his mother, a bartender, was hardworking and caring. He stuttered and shivered as he testified.

When shown photographs of his mother, Cuellar said Ruiz had a dragon tattoo on her back and wore rings.

Cuellar said law enforcement knocked on the family's door after his mother's purse was retrieved near a Cape Coral school.

A school resource officer ran her name through a database, but determined she was not related to any students.

"A lot of it is a blur," Cuellar said, citing trauma.

After Cuellar was dismissed from the stand, Ruiz's fiance, Scott Hannon, 50, was escorted in by a deputy bailiff.

Hannon said he lived with Ruiz, Cuellar and one of Cuellar's siblings. He said he was a dock worker and typically did not have his cellphone on him. Hannon testified he usually left his cellphone in his vehicle.

But when he went to his vehicle and saw an unusual amount of messages and missed calls, Hannon said he knew something was wrong and notified his manager.

He said Ruiz had only sent him a text message after she left for work.

"She didn't think I gave her a kiss goodbye," Hannon said as he became engulfed in tears.

When he got to his house, Hannon said, he met with Cuellar. A police officer also arrived and discussed the finding of her purse, he said.

Both victims were strangled with fractured bones

Ruiz was found in an empty lot, with a broken nose. Her neck was also fractured.

Assistant State Attorney Andreas Gardiner, who presented the opening arguments for the state, said Melton was found tied and wrapped. Her skin had turned blue color and she had broken fingernails.

Gardiner said both Melton and Ruiz had three things in common – both were murdered Oct. 7, 2019; both were strangled; and both last encountered Wilson.

Melton's car was filled with blood stains, Gardiner said. Her car was used to run Ruiz over several times.

"I tried to make her look like spaghetti," Wilson told authorities, according to Gardiner.

Wilson then broke into the Amlins' home after they had just left for Ohio. He stole food and supplies, Gardiner said.

Gardiner said Wilson then called his father and asked for an Uber, saying he "needed to leave town." He also described the killings to his father.

"He wants his dad to feel the excitement," Gardiner said.

Defense attorneys Lee Hollander and Kevin Shirley reserved their opening statement, meaning they chose not to speak during their designated turn.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Family, friends testify on first day of Wade Wilson capital murder trial