Wade Wilson was convicted of the 2019 murders of Diane Ruiz and Kristine Melton
A Florida man was convicted of two counts of murder after he strangled two women to death within hours of each other in 2019.
In October 2019, two women, Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, were found dead, according to reports from WFLA and Fox 4. Melton was found in her home, while Ruiz, a mother of two, was found in an empty lot.
Wade Wilson was arrested in connection to the murders that month, according to the outlets. His conviction, which was reported by both outlets along with WBBH, marked the end of a nearly five-year legal saga.
“This afternoon in the Lee County Courthouse, I sat with the families of Diane Ruiz and Kristine Melton as the verdict was read: Wade Wilson was found guilty on all counts,” Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore said in a statement on June 12. “The families expressed to me their gratitude for the hard work of our team.”
During the trial, a prosecutor said Wilson killed the two women for “the sake of killing,” Fox 4 reported.
“This case was about killing for the sake of the killing,” Assistant State Attorney Andreas Gardiner said during closing arguments, according to the outlet. “Strangulation is the epitome of life slipping through someone’s hands.”
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Fox 4 also reported that prosecutors referenced a jailhouse interview, during which Wilson allegedly told detectives, “I would do it again.”
The outlet reported that Wilson met Melton at a bar and went home with her before authorities said he strangled her the next day. Hours later, Wilson saw Ruiz walking home from work and asked her for directions. When she got into his car, he strangled her before running her over.
Wilson’s attorney did not dispute that her client was guilty, WBBH reported, instead arguing that he was under the influence of drugs and that the murders were not premeditated.
“I’m not arguing insanity, I’m arguing the state is claiming premeditation, I’m arguing he’s whacked out of his mind for any of this,” attorney Lee Hollander reportedly told the court.
Because of his conviction of first-degree murder charges, Wilson potentially faces the death penalty. WFLA reported that the sentencing phase will begin on June 20.
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