FORT MYERS
A Fort Myers man, son of the owner of Gendron Funeral & Cremation Services, faces a felony charge after Lee County detectives say he tried to hire a man to kill his girlfriend.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies learned on Dec. 27 that a witness sent several letters to the State Attorney’s Office of the 20th Judicial Circuit in Fort Myers claiming 23-year-old Tristan Gendron wanted his 28-year-old girlfriend killed so she couldn’t testify against him.
The witness told detectives that Gendron had approached him and wanted the crew of accused murderer Wade Wilson to kill the victim. Gendron was already in jail facing previous felony charges, and he believed that if his girlfriend were killed, the charges would be dropped and he would be free. The witness said that Gendron provided him with security codes for his father’s funeral home. Wilson’s crew would use the security codes provided to gain entry without the alarm going off, then steal around $200,000 and use the money to buy drugs to “hot shot” the victim and keep the rest as payment.
The witness said that once Gendron told him this, he did not want to act on the idea and wanted to help the victim, which is why he provided the letters to the State Attorney’s Office and did not have his crew go through with the plan. A handwritten note from Gendron was provided to detectives; the witness had saved it and made copies to send to the State Attorney’s Office in order to help Gendron’s girlfriend.
Wade Wilson. (Credit: Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
She was told of this plan and was scared, believing that it could happen, as Gendron has reportedly talked about killing people in the past. She decided to go forward with criminal charges against Gendron.
Post-Miranda statements were obtained from Gendron on two occasions. During the recorded interview, Gendron acknowledged that the letter was in his handwriting, that he did write it and that he exchanged notes and communicated with the witness. Gendron confessed that communication and notes were exchanged regarding the killing of his girlfriend and the security codes provided for the funeral home. He also confirmed that he provided the witness with the address and personal information of the victim.
Detectives verified with the owner of the funeral home that the security codes were indeed accurate and there was money in the safe. The codes have since been changed, and the cash removed.
Wilson himself came forward and said that Gendron told him that he planned on having his girlfriend killed and that he did not care anymore.
Based on the new information gathered by detectives, Gendron faces a charge of criminal solicitation of a first-degree felony (murder).
WINK NEWS