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

FLORIDA — Wade Steven Wilson remains on Florida’s death row more than six years after the murders of two women — Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43 — as his legal team continues challenging the death sentences imposed for the killings.

Wilson, whose name became widely known online as the “Deadpool Killer” because he shares his name with the Marvel character, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 2024.

He was sentenced to death for both killings later that year.

As of the latest available reports in September 2026, there is no publicly confirmed execution date for Wilson. His case remains tied up in the appeals process.

TWO WOMEN KILLED ON THE SAME DAY

The case dates back to October 7, 2019, when prosecutors said Wilson killed two women in Lee County, Florida.

According to evidence presented at trial, Wilson met Kristine Melton at a Fort Myers bar before going with her to her home.

Prosecutors said he later strangled Melton while she was in bed.

Hours later, Wilson encountered Diane Ruiz, who was walking to work.

Investigators said Wilson persuaded Ruiz to get into a vehicle and subsequently killed her.

Court evidence showed that Ruiz suffered strangulation injuries as well as severe blunt-force trauma after Wilson repeatedly drove over her with a vehicle.

Wilson was arrested less than a day after the killings.

According to trial testimony, he also made statements to his biological father about the murders. His father subsequently contacted law enforcement, helping police locate him.

CONVICTED AND SENTENCED TO DEATH

A Lee County jury found Wilson guilty of the two murders in June 2024.

In August 2024, a judge imposed two death sentences.

The sentencing followed Florida’s 2023 change to its death-penalty law, which allows a jury to recommend death without a unanimous vote.

In Wilson’s case, jurors voted 9-3 in favor of death for Melton’s murder and 10-2 for death in Ruiz’s case.

Wilson’s current appeal does not challenge the underlying murder convictions.

Instead, his attorneys have focused on the legality and constitutionality of the death sentences.

HIS ATTORNEYS CHALLENGED FLORIDA’S DEATH-PENALTY LAW

One of the central arguments concerns whether Florida could apply its newer death-penalty voting rules to Wilson, whose crimes occurred in 2019 — before the law was changed.

At the time of the murders, Florida required a unanimous jury recommendation for a death sentence.

The 2023 law lowered that threshold to an 8-4 vote.

Wilson’s attorneys argued that applying the newer standard to his case was unconstitutional.

The issue reached the Florida Supreme Court in February 2026.

During a hearing on February 5, Wilson’s attorney Michael Ufferman said he intended to preserve the constitutional arguments for a possible appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Florida Supreme Court ultimately upheld the lower court’s decision.

THE APPEAL IS NOT OVER

Although the Florida Supreme Court rejected the challenge, Wilson’s legal team has indicated that it intends to continue pursuing the constitutional arguments in federal court.

That means Wilson’s death sentences remain in place, but his case has not reached the point of a scheduled execution.

PEOPLE reported in May 2026 that Wilson remained incarcerated at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida, where the state’s male death-row prisoners are housed. The publication also noted that his attorneys had filed several appeals following the 2024 sentencing.

A separate challenge that began before the Florida Supreme Court in early 2026 was halted by Wilson’s attorneys after the court’s previous decisions made clear how it was likely to rule on the arguments.

His lawyers said they wanted to preserve the issue for possible review by the nation’s highest court.

WHY THE CASE CONTINUES TO ATTRACT ATTENTION

Wilson’s case has received renewed attention through documentaries and true-crime coverage.

A Paramount+ documentary, “Handsome Devil: Charming Killer,” was released in January 2026, while Netflix subsequently featured the case in the second season of “Worst Ex Ever.”

The attention has also extended far beyond the courtroom.

Wilson has developed an online following, with some people discussing or expressing fascination with him despite the convictions for two murders.

That phenomenon has become a separate part of the public discussion surrounding the case, although it has no bearing on the legal status of his convictions or sentences.

NO EXECUTION DATE HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED

For now, Wilson remains on death row.

His convictions for killing Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz remain in effect, and his two death sentences also remain in effect following the latest Florida Supreme Court proceedings.

But there is an important distinction between being sentenced to death and having an execution scheduled.

Wilson does not currently have a publicly confirmed execution date.

His next major legal battle is expected to focus on whether the constitutional arguments rejected by Florida’s courts can be taken further to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Until those proceedings are resolved, the case remains active.

For the families of Melton and Ruiz, meanwhile, more than six years have passed since their loved ones were killed.

And while Wilson’s name continues to generate attention online, the court record remains centered on the two women whose lives ended on October 7, 2019 — and the continuing legal process surrounding the punishment imposed for their deaths.