A neurologist who examined bizarre Florida killer Wade Wilson testified during an August 27 hearing that the convicted murderer suffered brain damage as a child. Dr. Mark Rubino spoke at what is called a Spencer Hearing, a procedure that allows for additional testimony the judge may take into consideration before imposing sentence.
But it was all for naught, as Wilson was sentenced to death the same day.
Wade, now 30, murdered 43-year-old Diana Ruiz and Kristine Melton, 35, on the same day in October of 2019. The killer is one of the most visually memorable in recent history with a sinister appearance. He is covered in bizarre tattoos, including on his face, where he has tattooed stitching on his cheeks and around his mouth that give the appearance of Frankenstein’s monster.
Incredibly violent, Wilson is usually physically restrained in court. Dr. Rubino said that made the man difficult to examine, but that recent brain scans indicated that Wade’s stories of childhood head injuries are likely true. Wilson told Dr. Rubino that he had been in car accidents during his childhood. In one of them, Wilson claimed, he hit his head on the windshield when the car he was riding in struck an oak tree. In the second alleged accident, Wilson said, a group of friends and he were riding in another car that hit a tree.
During a video conference before the hearing, Rubino said brain scans and a direct examination led him to conclude Wade suffers from impairment in short-term memory and “cognitive and emotional” psychiatric problems. The convict also claims that he has had problems since age 11 when he told his parents that “he thought he was going crazy.”
Wilson also claimed he got two concussions playing football and baseball in high school, and he said he was “jumped” three times and was knocked unconscious in each incident.
Dr. Rubino said he could not locate any medical records substantiating Wilson’s claims, but that his brain scans indicate the murderer is likely telling the truth.
The hearing was the last chance to stave off the death penalty, but that’s the sentence Wilson received.
A forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Mark Mills, previously said Wilson has a psychotic disorder and is “severely” mentally ill. In addition, neuropsychologist Dr. Hyman Eisenstein said Wilson is afflicted with manic depression, schizoaffective personality disorder, and a raft of other mental conditions.
