WADE WILSON REMAINS ON DEATH ROW AS APPEAL CONTINUES YEARS AFTER DOUBLE MURDER
WADE WILSON REMAINS ON DEATH ROW AS APPEAL CONTINUES YEARS AFTER DOUBLE MURDER
Wade Wilson remains on Florida’s death row as his legal battle continues, more than six years after two women were killed in separate incidents on the same day.
Wilson was convicted of murdering Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, in Lee County, Florida, on October 7, 2019.
His case later attracted widespread attention online, partly because he shares the name of Marvel’s fictional character Wade Wilson, better known as Deadpool. Social media users and some media outlets subsequently began referring to him as the “Deadpool Killer.”
But behind the viral attention is a capital murder case that remains active in Florida’s courts.
TWO WOMEN KILLED HOURS APART
According to evidence presented at trial, Wilson first encountered Melton after a night out in Fort Myers.
Prosecutors said Melton later went with Wilson to her home, where he killed her and took her vehicle.
Wilson subsequently encountered Ruiz, who was on her way to work. Prosecutors alleged that he asked her for directions before attacking her.
Ruiz was later found dead in Cape Coral.
Wilson was arrested shortly afterward, and prosecutors eventually charged him with two counts of first-degree murder along with several other offenses.
CONVICTED IN 2024
After years of legal proceedings, Wilson went to trial in 2024.
A Lee County jury found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder on June 12, 2024. He was also convicted of additional offenses including grand theft of a motor vehicle, battery, burglary and theft.
During the penalty phase, jurors recommended death sentences for both murders.
On August 27, 2024, Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson formally sentenced Wilson to death for the killings of Melton and Ruiz.
He was subsequently transferred to Florida’s death row.
THE APPEAL IS STILL MOVING FORWARD
Wilson’s case did not end with the death sentences.
His attorneys challenged the convictions and sentences, and the case moved to the Florida Supreme Court for mandatory review.
Court records show the appeal remains active. Wilson’s legal team filed its initial appellate arguments, followed by the state’s response and a reply from the defense.
The Florida Supreme Court also heard oral arguments in February 2026 as part of the continuing legal process.
Wilson’s attorneys have continued to challenge aspects of his convictions and Florida’s capital-sentencing system.
A separate petition filed with the U.S. Supreme Court also raised constitutional arguments concerning Florida’s death-penalty system.
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 review, meaning the legal process has not reached its final stage.
For now, he remains incarcerated on Florida’s death row while the courts consider the outstanding challenges.
WHY THE CASE CONTINUES TO ATTRACT ATTENTION
Wilson’s case has generated an unusually large amount of attention on social media.
His appearance during court proceedings, his tattoos and his name matching Marvel’s fictional Deadpool have all contributed to the online fascination surrounding the case.
A 2026 documentary series, Handsome Devil: Charming Killer, also revisited Wilson’s crimes and the public reaction to his case.
PEOPLE has likewise reported on Wilson’s case in connection with the second season of Worst Ex Ever, which examined four real-life cases involving abusive or violent relationships.
The attention has sometimes extended beyond the legal proceedings themselves, with social-media discussions focusing heavily on Wilson rather than the two women whose deaths led to his convictions.
THE VICTIMS
Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz remain at the center of the case.
Melton was 35 when she was killed. Ruiz was 43.
Their deaths occurred within hours of one another on October 7, 2019, in southwest Florida.
More than six years later, Wilson’s convictions remain in place while his appeals continue.
For now, there is no scheduled execution date, and the next major development will depend on the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings.
Wilson remains on death row, while the families of Melton and Ruiz continue to live with the consequences of the killings that brought the case to national attention.
