FORT MYERS, Fla. — A lot happened in southwest Florida in 2024. I'm Senior Reporter Kaitlin Knapp, and I'm looking back the top 4 stories in Fort Myers you clicked on the most in 2024.
DECISION DAY:
Most of the stories involve a killer that went viral in 2024. I'm talking about Wade Wilson, a trial I covered at the courthouse in downtown Fort Myers. The jury convicted him of murder, and then came decision day. The judge would decide whether or not to sentence him to life in prison wit no parole, or death.
GUILTY OF TWO MURDERS:
Before his sentence, there was the trial. For days, people testified against Wilson, including witnesses, Wilson's biological dad, police, doctors and more. It took the jury less than a week to find Wilson guilty on all counts.
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE:
After the verdict, I dug more into Wilson's background as we awaited his sentencing hearing. His ex-girlfriend in Palm Beach County reported a sexual assault to deputies. However, they never filed charges against him. In an internal investigation, they found the detective did not properly investigate the claims. But, deputies say the outcome still would've been the same — they would not arrest Wilson. The claims came months before he came to Cape Coral and killed two women.
CALOOSAHATCHEE CLOSURE:
The last story you clicked on the most is not crime-related, but it made a huge impact on you. The Caloosahatchee River Bridge closed for 10 weeks, and the sudden closure sparked a lot of frustration from drivers. However, FDOT said it would speed up the project by more than a year.
