WADE WILSON’S DE@TH ROW FIGHT TAKES ANOTHER TURN — HERE’S WHERE THE ‘DE@DPOOL KI//ER’ CASE STANDS NOW
WADE WILSON’S DEATH ROW FIGHT TAKES ANOTHER TURN — HERE’S WHERE THE ‘DEADPOOL KILLER’ CASE STANDS NOW
After being sentenced to death for the 2019 murders of two women, Wade Wilson is continuing his legal fight — but his challenge is focused on the death sentence itself.
Wade Steven Wilson remains on Florida’s death row after being convicted of murdering Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, in 2019.
The case, which later became widely known online as the “Deadpool Killer” case, has received renewed attention following its inclusion in Netflix’s true-crime series Worst Ex Ever.
But behind the headlines, Wilson’s case has continued through the courts.
HIS DEATH SENTENCE IS STILL BEING CHALLENGED
Wilson was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 2024 and sentenced to death later that year.
His current legal challenge is not an attempt to overturn the murder convictions themselves.
Instead, his attorneys have challenged the legality of the death sentences, focusing in part on Florida’s 2023 changes to its capital-sentencing law.
Under that law, a jury recommendation for death does not have to be unanimous. A minimum of eight jurors can recommend death before a judge imposes the sentence.
THE CASE REACHED FLORIDA’S SUPREME COURT
Wilson’s case was formally docketed as Wade Steven Wilson v. State of Florida, case number SC2024-1345, in the Florida Supreme Court.
The court scheduled oral arguments for February 5, 2026.
However, Wilson’s attorneys ultimately ended their constitutional challenge during the hearing after the Florida Supreme Court had already issued a ruling in another case addressing the same legal questions.
His attorney said the constitutional issues had nevertheless been preserved for possible review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
NO EXECUTION DATE HAS BEEN SET
Despite the enormous public attention surrounding Wilson’s case, there is no confirmed execution date for him at this time.
He remains on Florida’s death row while the legal process continues.
That means viral claims suggesting that Wilson is about to be executed should be treated cautiously. His case still involves further avenues of review, and an execution cannot simply take place while the remaining legal process is unresolved.
THE TWO CASES THAT LED TO HIS DEATH SENTENCES
The murders occurred on October 7, 2019, in Lee County, Florida.
Prosecutors said Wilson killed Melton and later encountered Ruiz.
A Lee County jury ultimately found him guilty of both murders in June 2024.
A judge subsequently imposed two death sentences.
Wilson is therefore not awaiting a new murder trial. His current legal battle centers on whether his death sentences can legally stand.
WHY THE CASE CONTINUES TO ATTRACT ATTENTION
Wilson’s case has generated intense online attention for several reasons, including the unusual coincidence between his name and the fictional Marvel character Deadpool.
His heavily tattooed appearance and the disturbing details presented during his trial also generated widespread discussion online.
The case received another wave of attention in 2026 after Netflix featured it in the second season of Worst Ex Ever.
But the legal question now is considerably narrower:
Will Florida’s courts ultimately allow the death sentences imposed under the state’s revised capital-sentencing system to stand?
For now, Wilson remains on death row — and his fight over the punishment continues.
