Wade Wilson, a 30-year-old man with the disturbing nickname “Deadpool Killer,” has been sentenced to death for the murders of two Florida women. Wilson was convicted of killing Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, in October 2019.
The case against Wilson began with his indictment on first-degree murder charges in 2019. He confessed to the crimes shortly after his arrest, admitting to killing Melton and Ruiz on October 7, 2019. Wilson’s trial concluded with the jury recommending the death penalty, a recommendation that Lee County Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson confirmed in a hearing on August 27.
Wilson’s confession revealed that he met Melton at a bar and later killed her at her home after a sexual encounter. In the case of Ruiz, Wilson picked her up under false pretenses, then choked her and ran her over with her own car. The court’s sentencing order described the murders as particularly brutal. Melton was beaten with a curtain rod before being suffocated, and her body was found hidden in bedding at her apartment. Evidence, including DNA and blood-stained items, corroborated Wilson’s involvement. Ruiz’s body, discovered in the woods, showed severe trauma consistent with being struck by a vehicle. Items belonging to Ruiz were found in Melton’s car.
Judge Thompson’s decision highlighted Wilson’s prior felony convictions and the severity of his crimes. “The evidence showed that both murders were heinous, atrocious, and cruel,” Thompson stated. He affirmed the jury’s recommendation, noting that the circumstances of the case left no grounds to overturn the verdict.
Following the sentencing, the families of the victims expressed their gratitude to law enforcement. Felix Ruiz, father of Diane, promised to witness Wilson’s execution, stating, “I didn’t get to say I love her and I miss her. This is not the end. The end is when the accused takes his last breath. And I will be there at the execution. That’s a promise.”