Wade Steven Wilson’s case has once again drawn public attention after documentaries and television coverage revisited the crimes that shocked Southwest Florida in 2019. Known publicly as the “ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool Killer” because of his name’s connection to the Marvel character, Wilson was convicted of killing two women in Lee County on the same day.

On Oct. 7, 2019, Wilson killed Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, according to prosecutors and court testimony. Investigators said Wilson met Melton at a Fort Myers bar before going with her to her home. After her friend left, prosecutors said Wilson killed Melton in her bedroom and then took her vehicle.

Later that morning, Wilson encountered Ruiz as she was walking to work. According to investigators, he approached her under the pretense of needing directions and persuaded her to enter his vehicle. Authorities said he then killed Ruiz and attempted to dispose of her body.

Wilson’s history had already included encounters with law enforcement before the 2019 killings. Court records and testimony described previous arrests and involvement with counseling and substance-abuse treatment programs. People who knew him reportedly described periods in which he could appear personable before becoming aggressive or threatening.

His adoptive parents, Cindy and Steve Wilson, later submitted a letter to the court. According to Newsweek, they described him as a joyful child who gradually became withdrawn and erratic during his teenage and early adult years. They also wrote about addiction, mental-health struggles and increasingly concerning behavior.

After a lengthy legal process, a Lee County jury convicted Wilson in June 2024 of two counts of first-degree mer. In August 2024, a judge sentenced him to two dh sentences. He remains on Florida’s d***h row while his legal appeals continue.

The case has since received renewed attention through true-crime productions. Paramount+ released Handsome Devil: Charming Killer in January 2026, while Netflix later featured Wilson in Season 2, Episode 1 of Worst Ex Ever, which premiered May 6.

As the case continues to attract attention, the underlying tragedy remains the loss of two women, Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz, whose lives were cut short in October 2019. Their names remain at the center of a case that continues to generate public interest years later. 💔🙏