Wade Wilson Update: Killer’s Neurologist Reveals Chilling New Details

A neurologist claims a young Wade Wilson, the tattoo-covered convicted Florida murderer who will either be sentenced to death or life in prison on Tuesday, once told his adoptive parents that he “thought he was going crazy.”

The now 30-year-old Wilson murdered Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, within hours of each other in October 2019. In addition to the two first-degree murder charges, he was also convicted of grand theft, battery, burglary, and petit theft from these incidents.

Dr. Mark Rubino testified during a Zoom disposition hearing on Monday, claiming recent brain scans performed on Wilson, 30, indicate brain trauma, including “impairment” with short-term memory along with “cognitive and emotional problems in the setting of psychiatric disease.”

In addition to the MRI, Rubino ran a series of tests to examine Wilson, which was “difficult” due to the convict being restrained. He also spoke to Wilson about his childhood who told the doctor he “was good until about age 11, until he told his parents that he thought he was going crazy.”

Wilson told Rubino he was in two car accidents “years ago” growing up in Tallahassee. One in which he was the passenger when the driver hit an oak tree, hitting his head on the windshield, and the second when he and a group of friends were at the beach and again hit a tree.

“Everybody got knocked out,” Rubino said. “He started to run because he didn’t want to be arrested because he was on probation, and then when he woke up, went back to the EMS to get evaluated because he felt bad, and just left because he didn’t want to go to the hospital.”

Wilson also alleged he had two concussions from football and baseball in high school. He also got “jumped” three times and was “knocked out” each time then, Rubino said.

Rubino was unable to obtain any medical records to support Wilson’s claims but said his stories about the head injuries were “likely true” based on the results of the scans.

The doctor who stressed many times “I’m a neurologist, not a psychologist” concluded that “as a result of his head injuries, Wilson sustained something, in addition to psychiatric disease, so his behavior is explained by his head injuries – his impulsiveness, his overwhelming emotion that gets acted upon without any kind of checks and balances by the frontal lobe.”

Rubino will testify in a Spencer hearing on Tuesday at 9 a.m. Wilson’s sentencing is set for 2 p.m.

A Spencer hearing is a legal proceeding in Florida that occurs after a defendant has been found guilty but before sentencing. It allows the defense and prosecution to present additional evidence or arguments that might influence the judge’s decision on the sentence.

Named after the Florida Supreme Court case Spencer v. State (1993), this hearing is particularly important in cases where the death penalty is a possibility, as it provides the defense an opportunity to argue for a lesser sentence. During the hearing, the judge may consider factors such as mitigating circumstances, the defendant’s background, and any other relevant information that could affect the severity of the sentence.

Newsweek has contacted Wilson’s lawyers Kevin Shirley and Lee Hollander for comment.

Rubino’s hearing comes as a last-ditch effort from Wilson’s attorneys to potentially save his life just one day before Judge Nicholas Thompson decides the killer’s fate.

Last week, Hollander told Newsweek that a psychologist and a neurologist have already interviewed Wilson, but Rubino has requested further testing as he found evidence “possibly indicating traumatic brain injury.” The Lee County Sheriff’s Office transported Wilson to the tests at an undisclosed location for safety reasons.

In July, Wilson’s sentencing was postponed because “two additional mental health experts could not adjust their schedules to testify during the penalty phase,” according to court records. At that time, Shirley noted one doctor wanted to conduct brain scans on Wilson, which would require transporting him to a different facility. The other doctor needed additional time to complete his tests on Wilson, which differed from those conducted by the doctors who had already testified during the trial.

Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Mark Mills testified for Wilson, stating that he suffers from a psychotic disorder and is “chronically and severely” mentally ill.

Neuropsychologist Dr. Hyman Eisenstein also provided testimony, claiming Wilson has been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and other mental health conditions. Eisenstein further noted that Wilson has a neurocognitive impairment, indicating that his brain does not function like that of a normal, healthy person.

However, the state’s rebuttal expert, forensic psychologist Dr. Michael Herkov, argued that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to support a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder. Instead, Herkov suggested that Wilson’s extensive history of drug abuse, both documented and self-reported, was a more plausible explanation for the killer’s delusions and recurrent criminal behavior.

Wilson also got arrested on drug charges while in jail in April 2023. A K9 doing checks outside the outdoor Lee County Jail receiving center that day detected two bags – which both tested positive for methamphetamine – and contained loose cigarettes, suspected narcotics, lighters, and pills.

According to court documents, a trusty – an inmate who gets special privileges for being trustworthy and responsible – gave the drugs to Wilson and another inmate. Officials reviewed recorded inmate phone calls and learned that Wilson spoke to someone named Bonnie Wiggins about narcotics. Police then conducted an undercover investigation where they watched Wiggins and three more suspects outside of jail, which resulted in six people being arrested, including Wilson, on drug-related charges.

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