Convicted killer tries to escape from Florida prison

Wade Wilson, a Fort Myers man facing the death penalty in the murders of two Cape Coral women, remains facing unrelated charges, including attempted prison escape.

On June 12, 2024, Wilson, 30, was convicted of the 2019 murders of Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43.

Wilson’s jury voted for the death penalty, and sentencing is scheduled for July 23. The death penalty will be decided by the judge presiding over the case.

Wilson, who shares his name with the alter ego of Marvel character Deadpool, has racked up additional charges as he awaits trial for murder in Lee County Jail. Court records in the case link Wilson to the white supremacist prison gang Unforgiven.

In 2020, Wilson and a cellmate were charged with manipulating a cell window in an attempt to escape. Wilson, who was reportedly the main planner and instigator of the escape, also attempted to organize a getaway car.

Wilson was also charged with participating in a drug smuggling operation in 2023.

Here’s what you need to know about Wade Wilson and his alleged crimes behind bars:

Wade Wilson murdered Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz

On Oct. 7, 2019, Wilson, then 25, met Kristine Melton, 35, and her friend Stephanie Sailors at Buddah LIVE, a bar in Fort Myers.

That morning, the trio landed at Melton’s Cape Coral home. After the Sailors left, Wilson strangled Melton to death as she slept in her bed and stole her car.

Moments later, Wilson saw 43-year-old Diane Ruiz walking down a Cape Coral street, asked her for directions and lured her into his car.

When Ruiz tried to get out of the car, Wilson attacked her, punching and choking her before pushing her out of the car and running over her 10 to 20 times.

Her body was found three days later in a field, with vultures circling overhead.

After the murders, Wilson called his biological father, Steven Testasecca, several times, confessing to the crimes and recounting them. Testasecca contacted police, and Wilson was arrested on October 8, 2019.

“He was excited,” Testasecca testified in court, adding that Wilson said he wanted Ruiz to “look like spaghetti.”

Wade Wilson verdict

On June 12, 2024, Wilson was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, theft, assault, burglary and petty theft.

In the death penalty phase of the trial, the jury voted 9-3 and 10-2 for the death penalty for murder.

Judge Nicholas Thompson will decide whether to impose the death penalty.

The verdict is scheduled for July 23.

Is Wade Wilson on death row in Florida?

Wilson is being held in the Lee County Jail.

Once Wilson is convicted and the unrelated charges are resolved, he will be transferred to a Florida prison.

If the judge in his case upholds the death penalty, Wilson will join 276 men on death row at Union Correctional Institution.

Wade Wilson’s first appearance on first-degree murder charges

Wade Wilson will make his initial court appearance via video call from the Lee County Jail on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in Fort Myers.

Amanda Inscore, [email protected]

Wade Wilson’s prison escape attempt

On September 30, 2020, Lee County Jail officials received information about a possible escape attempt by Wilson and his cellmate, Joseph Katz.

Court documents reveal that Wade Steven Wilson apparently tried to organize a getaway vehicle for 1 or 2 a.m. the next day through fellow inmates.

A note signed with Wilson’s name was found. It was reportedly passed between Wilson and another inmate, who are allegedly connected through the white supremacist prison gang “Unforgiven.”

Deputies searched the 10×10 cell where Wilson and Katz were being held and found the window tampered with. The metal frame holding the window had been removed and there were several cracks in the thick safety glass.

Witnesses inside the prison reported hearing banging sounds coming from an upstairs cell for several days.

Wilson was charged with attempted escape and misdemeanor battery.

Drug charges against Wade Wilson

On April 20, 2023, a K9 police dog conducting a sniff outside the Lee County Jail found two bags, each containing loose cigarettes, suspected narcotics, lighters, and pills. Both bags tested positive for methamphetamine.

The source told authorities that the drugs were brought by a trusted prisoner. A trusted prisoner is an inmate who is considered trustworthy and reliable and who has been given special privileges and responsibilities.

According to reports, one of the inmates passed the drugs to another inmate, who distributed them between Wilson and another inmate.

According to the arrest report, Wilson discussed drugs 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.

The undercover operation, which included surveillance of Wiggins and three other suspects outside the prison, led to the arrest of six people, including Wilson, on drug possession charges.

Unforgiven: Wade Wilson’s white supremacist gang has alleged ties to

According to the Anti-Defamation League, Unforgiven was founded in 1986 in a Florida prison and is the largest prison white supremacist group in the state.

Members of the Unforgiven group reportedly use the numerical symbol 21-2-12, replacing the numbers with letters.

The number 21 represents U (“Unity”), 2 represents B (“Brotherhood”) and 12 represents L (“Loyalty”).

Contributions: Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press