WADE WILSON REMAINS ON DEATH ROW AS APPEAL CONTINUES IN DOUBLE-MURDER CASE

Florida death row inmate Wade Wilson remains at the center of a high-profile legal case more than six years after the deaths of two women in Cape Coral. His mandatory appeal is still pending before the Florida Supreme Court, with no execution date currently set.

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 on August 27, 2024, after jurors recommended capital punishment for both murders.

TWO WOMEN WERE KILLED ON THE SAME DAY

According to prosecutors, Wilson first encountered Kristine Melton at a bar in the Fort Myers area before going to her home.

The State Attorney’s Office said Melton was attacked while she was asleep. Wilson then took her vehicle.

Later that same day, prosecutors said Wilson encountered Diane Ruiz while she was walking along a Cape Coral street.

Authorities said he persuaded Ruiz to get into his vehicle by asking for directions. She was subsequently killed, and her body was found in the area.

The investigation by the Cape Coral Police Department and Fort Myers Police Department eventually led investigators to Wilson.

The case attracted widespread attention because of the circumstances surrounding the murders and because Wilson shares his name with Marvel’s fictional character Deadpool. Media outlets and social-media users subsequently began referring to him as the “Deadpool Killer.”

JURY RECOMMENDED TWO DEATH SENTENCES

Wilson’s trial took place nearly five years after the 2019 killings.

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

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

Later that month, on June 25, prosecutors announced that the jury had recommended death sentences for both murders.

On August 27, 2024, Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson formally imposed two death sentences.

Wilson also received prison sentences in a separate drug-trafficking and conspiracy case, but those sentences were ordered to run concurrently with the two death sentences.

HIS DEATH SENTENCES ARE NOW UNDER APPEAL

Wilson’s case automatically moved to the Florida Supreme Court for mandatory review.

The case is officially listed as:

Wade Steven Wilson v. State of Florida — SC2024-1345

The Florida court’s online docket currently classifies it as a Mandatory Review – Death Penalty Appeal – Initial and shows the case as open.

Wilson’s attorneys filed their amended initial brief in May 2025, while the State filed its answer brief in July 2025. Wilson’s reply brief was filed in September 2025.

The Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case on February 5, 2026. The court record shows that the appeal raises multiple issues seeking reversal of Wilson’s convictions and death sentences.

As of the latest court docket information available in September 2026, no final ruling has been entered and the appeal remains pending.

NO EXECUTION DATE HAS BEEN SET

Despite the extensive attention surrounding the case, Wilson does not currently have a publicly scheduled execution date.

His death sentences remain in place while the mandatory appeal proceeds.

The Florida Supreme Court’s docket shows that the case remains open, with no future oral argument currently listed. The latest docket entry shown is a May 7, 2026 order allowing one of Wilson’s attorneys to withdraw as co-counsel.

That means the legal process is still ongoing and the final outcome of the appeal has not yet been determined.

THE CASE HAS ALSO BECOME A MEDIA PHENOMENON

Wilson’s case has received renewed attention in 2026 through several documentaries and true-crime productions.

Paramount+ released “Handsome Devil: Charming Killer”, a documentary series examining Wilson’s background, the murders and the investigation.

Netflix also featured the case in the second season of “Worst Ex Ever,” bringing the story to a new international audience.

PEOPLE reported in May 2026 that Wilson remains on Florida’s death row while his case continues through the appeals process.

WHERE THE CASE STANDS NOW

As of September 23, 2026:

• Wade Wilson remains alive and incarcerated on Florida’s death row.
• He was convicted of two first-degree murders in June 2024.
• He received two death sentences in August 2024.
• His mandatory appeal is pending before the Florida Supreme Court.
• Oral arguments were held on February 5, 2026.
• The Supreme Court case remains open.
• No execution date has been announced.

The next major development will be the Florida Supreme Court’s ruling on the pending appeal. Until that process is resolved, Wilson’s death sentences remain subject to judicial review.