WADE WILSON REMAINS ON DEATH ROW AS LEGAL BATTLE OVER TWO DEATH SENTENCES CONTINUES

Wade Steven Wilson remains on Florida’s death row as his legal challenge continues before the Florida Supreme Court, more than six years after the killings of two women in Cape Coral.

Wilson was convicted in June 2024 of two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, who were killed on October 7, 2019.

A Lee County judge formally sentenced Wilson to death for both murders on August 27, 2024, following unanimous jury recommendations for the death penalty. His case was subsequently taken to the Florida Supreme Court for mandatory appellate review.

FLORIDA SUPREME COURT APPEAL REMAINS OPEN

Wilson’s case is listed before the Florida Supreme Court as Wade Steven Wilson v. State of Florida, Case No. SC2024-1345.

His appeal challenges aspects of the convictions and death sentences. The Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case on February 5, 2026, with Wilson’s lawyers raising seven issues in their effort to have the death sentences overturned.

The appeal remains an active part of the case.

Wilson’s legal team has previously challenged the application of Florida’s death-penalty laws and other aspects of the sentencing process. The State of Florida has opposed the appeal.

The existence of the appeal does not mean that Wilson’s convictions or sentences have been overturned. He remains convicted of the two murders and remains under two death sentences while the appellate process continues.

THE 2019 KILLINGS

The case began in October 2019.

According to prosecutors, Wilson met Kristine Melton at a bar in Fort Myers before accompanying her to her home in Cape Coral.

Investigators said Melton was later found dead and that Wilson took her vehicle.

Authorities subsequently connected Wilson to the death of Diane Ruiz, who had been walking in Cape Coral.

Prosecutors alleged that Wilson approached Ruiz and asked her for directions before she entered the vehicle. She was later found dead in a field.

The investigation eventually led authorities to Wilson, who was arrested in October 2019.

He was later charged with two counts of first-degree murder as well as other offenses connected to the case.

CONVICTIONS AND DEATH SENTENCES

Wilson’s murder trial finally took place in 2024.

On June 12, 2024, a Lee County jury found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder.

The jury also convicted him of additional offenses, including grand theft of a motor vehicle, battery, burglary of a dwelling and first-degree petit theft.

During the penalty phase, jurors recommended that Wilson receive the death penalty for both murders.

Those recommendations were announced on June 25, 2024.

Two months later, Judge Nicholas Thompson formally imposed the two death sentences.

Because Florida death sentences undergo mandatory appellate review, Wilson’s case moved to the state’s highest court.

NO EXECUTION DATE HAS BEEN SET

Despite receiving two death sentences in 2024, Wilson does not currently have an execution date.

His case remains subject to appellate proceedings before the Florida Supreme Court.

The absence of an execution date does not alter his convictions or sentences. It means that the legal process has not reached the stage at which an execution has been scheduled.

Wilson therefore remains incarcerated on Florida’s death row while his appeal proceeds.

THE CASE HAS DRAWN WIDESPREAD ONLINE ATTENTION

Wilson’s case has received significant attention online, particularly following his courtroom appearances during the 2024 trial.

He has also been widely referred to on social media and by some media outlets as the “Deadpool Killer” because he shares his name with Marvel’s fictional character Wade Wilson.

The nickname is not an official legal designation.

The case has also generated substantial discussion about the attention surrounding Wilson compared with the two women whose deaths resulted in his murder convictions.

THE VICTIMS

Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, were the two women at the center of the murder case.

Their deaths occurred within the same day in October 2019 and led to a major investigation by authorities in Southwest Florida.

The State Attorney’s Office credited investigators with building the case that ultimately resulted in Wilson’s arrest, prosecution and convictions.

The legal proceedings now focus on whether the convictions and death sentences should remain in place under Florida law.

WHERE THE CASE STANDS

As of September 2026:

• Convicted: June 12, 2024
• Death penalty recommended: June 25, 2024
• Death sentences imposed: August 27, 2024
• Florida Supreme Court appeal: Ongoing
• Oral arguments: February 5, 2026
• Execution date: Not scheduled

For now, Wilson remains on Florida’s death row while the state’s highest court considers his appeal.

The next major development will depend on the Florida Supreme Court’s ruling and any further legal proceedings that follow.