Accused Cape Coral double murderer, Wade Wilson, closer to trial

Wade Wilson, the man who allegedly murdered two women, is inching closer to trial.

This entire case has been a long time coming, but Wilson will stand trial on June 3, nearly five years after he was first accused of murdering two Cape Coral women.

Wilson is accused of murdering Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz in Cape Coral in 2019.

Investigators found Melton’s body in her Cape Coral home. They believe Wilson met Melton at a Fort Myers bar and choked her to death.

Four days later, they found Ruiz dead in a field.

At the time, state law required a jury to unanimously recommend the death penalty. That law changed last year.

Now, just eight of the 12 jurors must agree on death as a sentence.

Wilson said the old rules should stand for his case because he was arrested before the law changed.

There have been many delays in this case, including changes of attorney for various reasons. His current attorney, Lee, requested a week-long recess between his guilt and penalty cases.

WINK News spoke to Melton’s friend, Elle Kanel, about the day she heard the tragic news.

“Just the complete shock,” said Kanel. “One of my good friends, Kristine, had called me that Monday afternoon, and just the first things that came out of her mouth was Kristine was murdered, and I just instantly fell to the ground because it’s just not ever something that you ever think you’re gonna hear in real life.”

First is the trial phase; if he’s convicted of first-degree murder, then it’s onto the penalty phase and whether he gets life or death.