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By Erin Keller
Reporter (Live News)
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Wade Wilson, the Florida man sentenced to death this week for murdering two women, will be transferred to a new facility where he will begin the likely long journey toward his own death.
Wilson, 30, has been held at the Lee County Jail in Fort Myers since he was arrested for brutally killing Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, in October 2019.
Since he received the death penalty on Tuesday, Wilson will be transferred to the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford while he awaits his execution.
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Wilson's lawyer Lee Hollander tells Newsweek no one outside of the jail will know when the transfer will happen for "security reasons."
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Wilson has been kept in a 10-by-10 foot cell at the Lee County jail for the past four years. On September 30, 2020, Wilson and his cellmate, Joseph Katz, allegedly attempted to break out of the cell. Officials searched it and found that their window's metal frame had been removed and there were several cracks in the thick security glass. A metal stool that had previously been bolted to the concrete floor had also been removed.
Detectives determined Wilson was the mastermind behind the incident and charged him with attempted escape and criminal mischief.
Wilson has a plea hearing related to his a separate drug trafficking case on September 16, so it will likely be after that.
Newsweek has contacted the Florida Department of Corrections for comment.
Wilson is the first convicted killer in Florida to get death after Gov. Ron DeSantis' controversial law change in April 2023. DeSantis signed a law reducing the requirement for jurors to recommend a death sentence from a unanimous decision to an 8-4 vote in favor.
Experts argue that this change has turned capital resentencing and trials into a "quintessential game of chance" for those facing the death penalty.
In June, nine of the 12 jurors recommended Wilson get the death penalty for the murder of Melton, and 10 recommended death for the murder of Ruiz.
The convicted killer was fingerprinted directly after his sentencing on Tuesday. His lawyers also appealed his sentence, which will likely draw out a five-year-long court ordeal even longer.
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Wilson's lawyer Kevin Shirley told Newsweek following his sentencing that the result was "anticipated."
"It was a 9-3, 10-2 jury ruling months ago, and it takes quite a bit of extra evidence in a Spencer hearing to convince a judge to override a jury recommendation," he said. "The unfortunate thing is we didn't have a lot of other information to provide to the court. We gave what he have."
Life On Death Row in Florida
The 274 male death row inmates are housed at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford which has a capacity of 1,486 inmates. The two female death row inmates are housed at Lowell Annex in Lowell.
Death row cells measure 6-by-9 feet with a height of 9.5 feet. Inmates awaiting execution, after the governor signs a death warrant, are housed in death watch cells, which measure 12-by-7 feet with a height of 8.5 feet.
Male death row inmates are housed at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford while female death row inmates are housed at Lowell Annex in Lowell.
Death row inmates are served three meals a day: at 5 a.m., from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., and from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Meals are prepared by prison staff and delivered to the cells in insulated carts. Inmates use sporks to eat from a provided tray.
Prior to execution, inmates can request a last meal with a maximum budget of $40, and the food must be purchased locally to prevent extravagance.
Death row inmates can have visitors but they must be approved in advance.
Inmates receive mail daily, excluding holidays and weekends. They are allowed snacks, radios, and 13-inch televisions in their cells but do not have cable television or air-conditioning. Inmates cannot gather in common areas but can watch church services on closed-circuit TV. While on death watch, inmates may have radios and televisions positioned outside their cell bars.
They're allowed to shower every other day.
Death row inmates are counted at least once an hour. They are handcuffed whenever they are outside their cells, except during their time in the cell, exercise yard, or shower. Inmates remain in their cells except for medical appointments, exercise, social or legal visits, and media interviews.
When a death warrant is signed, the inmate is placed on death watch status and is allowed a legal and social phone call.
Death row inmates wear distinctive orange T-shirts, while their pants are the same blue pants worn by regular inmates.
Raiford is a town in Union County, located in the northern part of the county and southwest of Jacksonville.
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