WADE WILSON REMAINS ON DEATH ROW AS LEGAL BATTLE OVER TWO DEATH SENTENCES CONTINUES
WADE WILSON REMAINS ON DEATH ROW AS LEGAL BATTLE OVER TWO DEATH SENTENCES CONTINUES
Wade Wilson remains on Florida’s death row as his legal battle continues over the two death sentences he received for the 2019 killings of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz.
Wilson was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to death for both murders. He is currently being held at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida, while his appeals continue.
The case has attracted renewed public attention in 2026 following a new true-crime documentary and a major hearing before the Florida Supreme Court.
TWO WOMEN KILLED IN ONE DAY
Wilson was 25 when he killed Melton and Ruiz on October 7, 2019, according to prosecutors and court records.
Melton, 35, had met Wilson at a Fort Myers bar before he later went to her home. Prosecutors said Wilson strangled her while she was in bed and then took her vehicle.
Later that same day, Wilson encountered Ruiz, 43, while she was on her way to work.
Prosecutors said Wilson approached Ruiz and asked for directions before getting her into the vehicle. He subsequently attacked her and strangled her.
Wilson was later accused of running Ruiz over with the vehicle after realizing she was still alive.
He was arrested shortly afterward after making admissions about the killings to his biological father.
JURY RECOMMENDED DEATH
Wilson was convicted of both murders in June 2024.
During sentencing, jurors recommended death by votes of 9-3 for Melton and 10-2 for Ruiz.
Florida law had changed in 2023 to allow a death sentence following a non-unanimous jury recommendation, provided the required threshold was met.
Wilson was subsequently sentenced to death for both killings.
His current appeal is focused on the legality of those death sentences.
His attorneys argue that applying the newer Florida sentencing law to his case raises constitutional questions. Wilson is not appealing his murder convictions themselves, according to reporting on the February 2026 hearing.
FLORIDA SUPREME COURT HEARS HIS APPEAL
On February 5, 2026, the Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Wade Steven Wilson v. State of Florida, case number SC2024-1345.
The court record describes the matter as a direct appeal raising seven issues related to Wilson’s death sentences.
Wilson’s attorneys argued against the use of the non-unanimous death-sentence provision in his case.
At the hearing, his lawyers indicated that they intended to pursue the matter before the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
As of the latest available information, Wilson remains on death row and no execution date has been scheduled.
THE CASE RETURNS TO THE SPOTLIGHT
Wilson’s case has also received renewed attention because of true-crime productions examining the murders and the intense public interest surrounding his trial.
Netflix’s Worst Ex Ever Season 2 includes an episode about Wilson, while Paramount+ released Handsome Devil: Charming Killer, a documentary series revisiting the case and its aftermath.
The renewed attention has also highlighted the unusual level of public fascination surrounding Wilson since his 2024 trial.
However, the legal situation remains straightforward: Wilson was convicted of two murders, received two death sentences, and is pursuing appellate challenges to those sentences.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Wilson’s case remains within the appellate process.
The central legal question is whether his death sentences can stand under the Florida sentencing framework that was applied to his case.
If the Florida Supreme Court rules against Wilson, his attorneys have indicated they may seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
For now, there is no confirmed execution date.
Wilson remains imprisoned on Florida’s death row while the courts consider his legal challenges.
The two convictions for the killings of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz remain in place, while the ongoing appeal concerns the punishment imposed for those crimes.
