'Absolutely not': State says no offer extended to Wade Wilson, accused in double 2019 murder
The state made it clear that there is no plea offer as the trial for a Fort Myers man facing the death penalty linked to the 2019 murders of two Cape Coral women began Monday.
Jury selection began after a slight delay in the receipt of clothing and cosmetic supplies for Wade Wilson, 30, who wants to appear "presentable."
Wilson is charged with the first-degree murder of Kristine Melton, 35; grand theft of Melton's car; battery on Melissa Montanez, 41; first-degree murder of Diane Ruiz, 43; burglary of a dwelling belonging to Kent Amlin or Fannie Amlin; and petty theft from Kent Amlin or Fannie Amlin.
Lee Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson is presiding over the case. The trial is expected to last three weeks and jury selection could last until June 11.
Assistant State Attorney Andreas Gardiner, who is prosecuting the case along with Assistant State Attorney Sara Miller, said lawyers are screening roughly 300 potential jurors. They need 12 jurors and four alternates to seat a jury in the capital murder case.
An array of minor breaks characterized Monday morning's portion of the trial, allowing Wilson to change clothing and put makeup over some tattoos. Wilson initially appeared in court in his Lee County Jail orange uniform, but motions filed by his attorneys Lee Hollander and Kevin Shirley have granted him permission to wear street clothing and makeup to cover several tattoos on his face and neck.
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Wilson had hoped to cover "numerous and varied tattoos" on his face, including "stitches," swastikas, and other designs "that might be objectionable to members of the potential jury pool."
Moments later, Wilson walked in wearing a long-sleeve red checked shirt with a light blue jacket, a yellow tie and regular pants. He is also allowed a pen and paper to take notes during the trial.
State prosecutors on Monday morning agreed with Hollander and Shirley that they would begin screening 60 potential jurors daily until they move onto the second phase of jury selection.
Before the involved parties continued narrowing down the jury selection details, Thompson paused to ask if the state had provided Wilson an offer for reduced charges or penalty, and if so, what the status was.
"Absolutely not," Gardiner said.
Melton and Ruiz were killed within days of each other in October 2019. Melton was found dead in her home, while Ruiz’s body was found in a field days after her disappearance.
A Lee County grand jury indicted Wilson in November 2019. He has been at the Lee County Jail since October 2019.
State prosecutors have said in court documents that on Oct. 7, 2019, Wilson stole Melton's car after killing her and visited Montanez in Melton’s car. Authorities said Wilson used Melton's cellphone to contact Montanez.
After Wilson attacked Montanez, he fled in Melton's car and encountered Ruiz in Cape Coral, where police say he killed her and repeatedly drove over her body using Melton's car.
Wilson then entered a nearby business, where he confessed the homicides to an acquaintance. When the acquaintance dialed 911, Wilson fled on foot and broke into a nearby home, leading to the latter two of the six charges.
Authorities found Ruiz's body in Melton's car, along with both women's cellphones, according to court documents.
Wade Wilson challenges possibility of death penalty
Since January, Wilson has challenged recent changes to death penalty recommendations by jurors; sought separate trials for the different charges; sought to bar victim impact evidence at trial; and hoped three aggravating factors would be dismissed in his case, alleging unconstitutionality.
Thompson has denied those attempts.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Fort Myers man can apply makeup over tattoos during death penalty trial