Convicted double-murderer Wade Wilson sentenced to death

A judge has sentenced the man who killed two Cape Coral women to death.

Wade Wilson had been in court since Tuesday morning for a Spencer hearing, which the defense had hoped would sway the judge to give him a life sentence.

Wilson showed little to no emotion as the judge sentenced him to death, as supporters for the two victims were in the courtroom wearing purple.

During a press conference immediately following his sentencing, State Attorney Amira Fox said, “I’ve been doing this 34 years, and I have to say I have never seen someone as evil as Wade Wilson, and I have never been so stunned to see some people in the community that actually think it’s a good idea to support somebody so evil and monstrous.”

In June, a jury recommended Wilson be put to death for the murders of Diane Ruiz and Kristine Melton, but it was up to the judge in the high-profile case to have the final say in his sentencing.

The family members of the victims had been given the chance to speak right to Wilson’s face during the Tuesday afternoon sentencing, but they decided not to. They stated that they said everything they needed to say during the trial.

When Wilson was asked again if he wanted to address the court, he said no.

The defense said they would be filing a notice of appeal and that Wilson was not surprised by the ruling.

When making the decision, the judge did take into account the 9-3 jury vote for the death penalty. He also said Wilson may not have any contact with the victim’s families.

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The case has sparked a lot of popularity, with people from all over the world writing to the judge, hoping to sway the decision.

There appeared to be a mix of motives with these letters, some looking to protect human life and some of obsession, yet, during these past few weeks, almost all were against the death penalty.

On Tuesday, Wilson entered the courtroom at 9 a.m. on Tuesday for his Spencer hearing.

A brief recap of Wilson’s trial

In June, a jury recommended Wilson be put to death for the murders of Diane Ruiz and Kristine Melton.

The defense presents its expert witness

During Wilson’s Spencer hearing, Naples Neurologist Dr. Mark Rubino testified that the convicted killer had signs of brain trauma following MRI scans ordered by the courts in mid-August.

Newsweek reported that Rubino was to appear in court to testify on behalf of the defense.

Following the MRI assessment, Rubino stated that Wilson was treated for depression, bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder.

Rubino said atrophy had occurred in Wilson’s brain, which could indicate two possible conclusions: cognitive and emotional dysfunction or evidence of brain injury.

The state questioned the validity of the tests and asked whether Wilson was truthful during the mental assessment.

“The only way that I can know for certain is through medical records,” Rubino said. “He told me that he was on medication, which I can verify. However, I cannot verify any head injuries, as they were not documented.”

Rubino mentioned that criminals who need mental evaluations or treatment for head injuries avoid doing so because of fear of being apprehended by law enforcement.

The state presents its expert witness

Following the first recess, the state called neuropathologist Dr. Thomas Coyne to the stand.

Coyne stated he had no prior meeting with Wilson and had not conducted any testing on him.

Providing his expertise, Coyne stated that when presented with the brain scans, he did not see any evidence of acute head trauma to the skull or the brain or features that would suggest chronic brain trauma.

When asked about the impacts of drug use in conjunction with brain injuries, Coyne said these are based on an individual basis, and it would be hard for him to speak to that.

When asked about how he would proceed with an MRI scan, Coyne said, “Before I looked at the CAT scans and MRIs, I avoid looking at any history before an examination to prevent bias. I then look back on the patient’s history to fully understand the situation.”

Coyne questioned Rubino’s thought process when making his assessment after conducting Wilson’s examination.

He further mentioned how the term atrophy was being generalized in this case, stating that it may occur in multiple ways and not by Rubino’s diagnoses.