State seeks death penalty against Wade Wilson in murders of 2 Cape Coral women

Reporter: Sydney Persing
Published: Updated:
Wade Wilson is the person of interest in the recent deaths of Cape Coral women Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz in October 2019. Credit: WINK News.

The State Attorney’s Office filed a “Notice Of Intent To Seek Death Penalty” against
Wade Steven Wilson, 25, Tuesday for each of the two victims in the case he was indicted on by a Lee County Grand Jury on Nov. 19.

Bill Masters lived across the street from Melton. When he thinks of Wilson charged with her murder, he told WINK News it is hard for him to understand how “somebody would be that callous.”

The Lee County Grand Jury returned an indictment for two counts of First Degree Murder for the murders of two women in Cape Coral. The Grand Jury also indicted Wilson for one count each of Battery, Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle, Burglary of a Dwelling and First Degree Petit Theft.

The Cape Coral Police Department investigated the homicides. Assistant State Attorney Andreas Gardiner and Assistant State Attorney Agnieszka Osowicka are prosecuting the case.

The first victim, Kristine Melton, was found dead in her Cape Coral home on Oct. 7. The second victim, Diane Ruiz, was found dead in a field in Cape Coral on Oct. 10 after being reported missing.

When Masters heard the news on Tuesday about the indictment, he asked himself a couple of questions.

“You wonder how was he raised?” Masters said. “What was he taught? Was he taught not to value life?”

Wilson entered not guilty pleas on all counts. He will be back in court on Jan. 29.

While the state builds their case and the defense focuses on theirs, Masters said it is time to reflect on the lives lost in Cape Coral.

“We see it on the news and it’s easy if we’re not careful,” Masters said. “We just forget about it, just think, ‘oh, it’s someone else.’ But you know what just about destroys a family to have to go through something like that.”

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