How horrifying a crime has to be for someone to be put on death row? And how gruesome does one have to be for not one, but several documentaries to have featured them? Well, the answer is as cruel and brutal as the ‘Deadpool Killer’, Wade Wilson. The man has been the topic of discussion ever since he first appeared in court. Not only does he have a standalone documentary on him, Handsome Devil: Charming Killer, but now he is back in the limelight for his mention on Season 2 of Worst Ex Ever. Wade’s story has once again proven how terrifying reality can be.
While many of the series’ subjects are manipulative or abusive, the case of Wade Wilson is on another level of brutality. So, as the criminal remains on death row, let’s take a quick look at who he is and where he is now.
Meet the ‘Deadpool Killer’, Wade Wilson
Wade Wilson’s gruesome story went viral long before it hit Netflix or any other streaming service for that matter. This was largely due to his unique appearance and reportedly “smug” courtroom persona. While his actions made him dangerous to the world, his charm and looks earned him a massive fanbase. For the unversed, Wade Steven Wilson was born on May 20, 1994, and was convicted of a double murder in 2024. The man took the lives of two innocent women named Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz.
He gained national notoriety during his 2024 trial not only for his crimes. The media dubbed him the ‘Deadpool Killer’, a reference to the Marvel character with whom he shares a name. Nonetheless, unlike the fictional hero, Wade’s actions were described by prosecutors as “heinous, atrocious, and cruel.” Regardless, women started being infatuated with him, with many calling themselves ‘Wade’s Wives’.
What did Wade Wilson do? Inside the dual murder of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz
Wade Wilson’s cruelty led to the death of two innocent lives. On October 7, 2019, the ‘Deadpool Killer’ went on a violent rampage in Cape Coral, Florida. The charming-looking Wade first attacked Kristine Melton, a 35-year-old he met at a bar and accompanied her home and later strangled her to death in her sleep. Later the same day, he lured 43-year-old Diane Ruiz, a mother of two and a bartender, into a car he had stolen from Kristine’s home. As soon as Diane got into the car, Wade strangled her and then, in a detail that shocked the courtroom, admitted to driving over her body multiple times.
However, what left everyone horrified was when Wade Wilson confessed to how he described the murders. He referred to Kristine Melton’s dead body as something he just casually shoved into a bag, while, when talking about Diane Ruiz’s murder, he compared running over her several times until she “looked like spaghetti.” Wade eventually confessed to his biological father, Steven Testasecca, about the crimes, who immediately called the police. Upon his arrest, Wade Wilson chillingly told detectives he would “do it again.”
Where is Wade Wilson now?
In August 2024, Wade Wilson was sentenced to death for the murder of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz. His sentencing was notable because he was one of the first high-profile defendants sentenced under Florida’s new 2023 death penalty legislation, which allows a judge to impose the death penalty even if the jury’s recommendation is not unanimous. However, even after two years, Wade has not yet been executed and is currently on death row in Florida. He is currently fighting his conviction and is in the middle of a legal battle to overturn his execution. His legal team has filed a direct appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, arguing that the retroactive application of Florida’s new sentencing laws is unconstitutional.
image credit: Netflix/YT, RedCarpetTrailers/YT
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