Rachel Wade



Rachel Wade (born February 27, 1990) is an American woman who was convicted of murder in the second degree in the murder of Sarah Ludemann.

Rachel Wade and Sarah Ludemann were romantic rivals. The rivalry began after Wade's breakup with Joshua Camacho. Camacho began seeing Ludemann, much to Wade's displeasure. In the first six months Ludemann was with Josh, Pinellas Park police officers spoke to Wade six times regarding public confrontations with Camacho. She got into a verbal argument with the mother of Camacho's child. Camacho punched Ludemann in the face, but Ludemann did not press charges.

Wade left insulting voicemails for Ludemann. Their rivalry quickly turned violent. They began to harass one another and, according to Wade, Ludemann would show up at an Applebee's where Wade worked in order to taunt her. During one incident, Ludemann told police that Wade repeatedly called her cell phone and left threatening voicemails. The rivalry deteriorated until Ludemann's death.

On the evening of April 14, 2009, authorities say that Rachel Wade was alone in her apartment waiting for Joshua Camacho. Camacho was watching movies with Ludemann. While Wade was outside walking her dog, she heard a car honk and she stated that Ludemann yelled, "Stay away from my man!" Wade said that she was scared and she decided to call an old boyfriend, Javier. He told her to come over to his house. She got her purse, opened a kitchen drawer and pulled out a steak knife.

At 11p.m., Wade approached Camacho's house. He and Ludemann were inside playing video games. Wade sent Camacho a text message saying, "Now I know why you're not talking to me — because you got her." Camacho replied, "That's right. I don't like you no more, why don't you go home?" Wade responded, "No. I'll wait for her to go home." Witnesses later testified that they overheard Wade threaten Ludemann on speakerphone, "I'm going to stab you and your Mexican boyfriend." Just before midnight, Camacho's sister asked Ludemann for a ride to McDonald's. Ludemann saw a friend at a stop sign who told her Wade was at Javier's house. Ludemann decided to confront her. As she was driving, Wade called her and yelled, "I'm going to kill you! You and your Mexican boyfriend!" Ludemann arrived at Javier's house and saw Wade speaking with him and their friend Dustin Grimes.

Wade testified that Ludemann slammed on her brakes, nearly hitting Wade and storming out of the car with her fists flailing. Wade said that she was fearful when she stabbed Ludemann's shoulder and chest, one blow punctured her heart. However, authorities and the prosecution's witnesses said that Ludemann did not get a chance to leave the van and that it was Wade who approached and attacked Ludemann. Ludemann, mortally wounded, and clutching her chest, called Camacho to tell him what happened. Camacho ran to Ludemann's home to tell her father. They both drove to the scene. Immediately after the stabbing, witnesses say that Wade threw the knife over a neighbor's house and calmly said, "I'm done." Ludemann bled to death long before police and paramedics could arrive at the scene. Ludemann died as a result of a heart puncture at a hospital and was pronounced dead at 2:20 AM the next morning.

Police arrived and began questioning Wade and the witnesses. She began to cry when they told her Ludemann died. Hours later, Wade was arrested and charged with murder in the second degree. She was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on $500,000 bond. She stayed there through the conclusion of the trial.