Death Row Delays: Wade Wilson’s Long Road to Justice

Wade Wilson was sentenced to death on Tuesday, raising questions about how long he will remain on death row. The Florida Department of Corrections reports that inmates typically wait an average of 13 to 14 years before execution, but this can vary.

Wilson’s legal team has initiated an appeal that will be submitted directly to the Florida Supreme Court. This appeals and execution process is expected to be lengthy.

He is not the first inmate to challenge a death sentence in Florida. Infamous serial killer Ted Bundy spent nine years on death row, repeatedly filing appeals and facing three delays in his execution, which cost taxpayers over $5 million.

Currently, another death row inmate, Loran Cole, is scheduled for execution by lethal injection on Thursday at 6 p.m. Cole was convicted for the murder of Florida State University student John Edwards in 1994. Despite the imminent execution date, Cole’s lawyers are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.

WINK News reached out to Wilson’s attorneys regarding his case and the lengthy appeal process. Defense attorney Kevin Shirley acknowledged the extensive wait, stating, “Unfortunately, he’s going to sit and wait. These things take dozens of years before they finally get ironed out. We’re just hopeful that one Supreme Court does the right thing.”

In contrast, state attorney Amira Fox reiterated the state’s determination to pursue justice. “He is nothing more than a vicious killer,” she declared, outlining the brutal nature of Wilson’s crimes against Christine Melton and Diane Ruiz.

Felix Ruiz, the father of one of Wilson’s victims, emphasized that the conclusion of this case will only come with Wilson’s execution, stating, “The end is when the accused takes his last breath, and I will be there at the execution. That’s a promise.”

Wilson has been in Lee County jail since his arrest in 2019 but will be transferred to Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida, to await execution. The timing of this transfer is uncertain, as he is also scheduled for a plea hearing regarding a separate drug trafficking case on September 16, where he faces allegations of coordinating drug sales from his jail cell.

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