A Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy did not follow through allegations that convicted killer Wade Wilson beat a woman, choking her, months before the 2019 murders of two Cape Coral women.
A Lee County jury last month recommended in 9-3 and 10-2 votes for each of the victims that Wilson , 30, of Fort Myers receive the death penalty . The same jury convicted him June 12 of the slayings of Kristine Melton , 35, and Diane Ruiz , 43, and other charges linked to the crimes.
According to a 21-page report provided by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Wilson was investigated in an incident that happened in February of that year, reports say. Authorities did not find probable cause for his arrest.
The victim told Palm Beach sheriff's deputies that in the early afternoon of Feb. 19, 2019, she got into an argument with her ex-boyfriend, Wilson, "over him going to rehab."
The woman, whose identity is redacted in the report, told authorities Wilson was first willing to go, but before they headed to the appointment, the pair needed to retrieve money from the woman's mother's home.
While Wilson drove the SUV, the report says, he decided he no longer wanted to go to his rehab appointment and "became angry." He demanded the victim pawn her laptop for money, according to the report.
The pair drove to several pawn shops, but were unsuccessful.
"Wade became irate and began choking her with both hands," the report says. The woman said she did not become unconscious but had bruising around her neck.
The woman told police that Wilson then struck her several times and grabbed a pocket knife, with which he sliced her T-shirt and bra off to blindfold her, according to the report.
With the woman blindfolded, Wilson drove for about two hours, she told authorities. During that time, Wilson sold her cellphone for $50 without her consent, authorities noted.
Wilson then tied the victim's feet and hands with a belt and attempted to silence her using a plastic garbage bag. He punched her after he became unsuccessful, the report says.
Wilson apologized, untied the woman and allowed her to use a restroom at a Key Largo gas station, according to the documents.
Wilson then drove to a separate gas station in Key Largo and entered a separate vehicle and left, authorities said. The woman drove to her mother's residence and called the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
Meanwhile, deputies responded to the woman's mother's home, retrieved a sports bra; a tank top; a pair of shorts; and a plastic garbage bag.
Authorities said they did not retrieve the pocket knife.
Deputies took her to Wellington Hospital, where Palm Beach County sheriff's Detective Louis Potter, of their Special Victims Unit, took over the investigation.
Detective Louis Potter interviews asks victim contact Wade Wilson
According to reports from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, when Potter made contact with the woman at the hospital, he asked if she could contact Wilson. She declined.
She, however, told Potter she was in contact with Wilson via email, according to the documents.
Potter asked that she refrain from contacting Wilson until authorities spoke with him.
Two days later, on Feb. 23, 2019, Potter noted, he received a call from Brittney Lozada, whose age and hometown are not included in the report. Brittney Lozada told Potter that Wilson was staying at her place, along with her sister, without consent.
Brittney Lozada said Courtney Lozada, 31, snuck Wade in at night "without her knowledge."
Wade Wilson arrives at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office
According to a supplemental report, Potter said Wilson arrived at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office headquarters where detectives with the Violent Crimes Unit interviewed him.
Wilson told authorities he was working as a personal trainer in Palm Beach County.
When Wilson and the woman began driving toward the Florida Keys, Wilson said, he began driving south of Miami.
Wilson told authorities he met a woman − later identified as Courtney Lozada − at a gas station parking lot in Monroe County and headed toward her car. As he made his way, he said, the complainant pleaded for him to return.
According to the report, Wilson did not mention tying her hands or blindfolding her.
Authorities asked if he would submit a saliva sample. Wilson agreed.
The report indicates Wilson complained to authorities the woman threatened to have him incarcerated if he did not leave Courtney Lozada and threatened to harm both.
Potter had Wilson speak with the reporting woman in his presence, the report shows.
The first woman told Potter her intent for contacting the Lozadas and Wilson was to discover Wilson's location.
Potter noted she used three screen names to contact the Lozadas and Wilson.
After he interviewed all of the parties, Potter said, he concluded the case became inactive, given that "there were no witnesses to the alleged crime and no evidence to establish probable cause."
Therese Barbera, spokesperson for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, said Potter started working as a deputy in July 2000 and continues working in a road patrol role with the sheriff's office's Alternate Response Unit.
The documents do not indicate Potter was disciplined.
What happens next for Wade Wilson?
Lee Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson has set Wilson's sentencing for July 23. On July 3, Wilson's legal team filed a motion for a new trial or acquittal on the murder, burglary and grand theft charges
Wilson has two pending cases related to thwarting a jail escape and trafficking drugs while incarcerated.
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: Wade Wilson faced Palm Beach investigation in 2019 before Kristine Melton, Diane Ruiz murders
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