Wade Wilson — 2019 Cape Coral murders and 2024 death sentence

Overview

The case of Wade Wilson — referred to in the press as the "Deadpool Killer" because his birth name matches the Marvel Comics character — is one of the most high-profile true crime cases featured in the Netflix docuseries Worst Ex Ever. On the night of October 7, 2019, Wade Wilson murdered two women in Cape Coral, Florida: Kristine Melton, a 35-year-old woman he had recently met, and Diane Ruiz, a 43-year-old woman he encountered hours later. Wilson was arrested within days of the killings in nearby Fort Myers, Florida.

The case proceeded through the Lee County court system over nearly five years. In June 2024, a Lee County jury convicted Wade Wilson on two counts of first-degree murder. In August 2024, the same court sentenced him to death. The Netflix true crime docuseries Worst Ex Ever features the Wilson case as the premiere episode of its second season, titled "Dating the Deadpool Killer."

Background and early crimes

Wade Wilson was born in 1994 and raised in South Florida. Prior to the October 2019 murders, Wilson had accumulated a criminal record that included charges related to domestic violence and assault. According to Forbes reporting on the case, Wilson had a pattern of manipulative behavior in relationships, often using aliases or his middle name "Steven" when meeting women through dating applications.

In 2018, Kelly Matthews met Wade Wilson on a dating app in West Palm Beach, Florida. Wilson introduced himself using his middle name and concealed his full identity. Matthews has described the relationship as marked by escalating manipulation and control. She ended the relationship before the violence that would later characterize Wilson's crimes, but her account provides critical context for understanding the pattern of behavior that preceded the Cape Coral murders.

Wilson's criminal history prior to October 2019 included multiple encounters with law enforcement across Florida. His behavior escalated significantly in the months before the murders, though the full extent of his prior offenses was not publicly known until after his arrest.

The murders

On October 7, 2019, Wade Wilson murdered Kristine Melton at her Cape Coral, Florida home. According to trial testimony and court records, Wilson strangled Melton to death. Hours later on the same day, Wilson encountered Diane Ruiz in Cape Coral. He abducted Ruiz, ran her over with a vehicle, and killed her.

Wilson fled Cape Coral following the murders but was apprehended by law enforcement in Fort Myers, Florida approximately two days later. The rapid arrest was facilitated by witness accounts and surveillance evidence that linked Wilson to both crime scenes in Cape Coral.

Legal proceedings

The prosecution of Wade Wilson proceeded through the Lee County, Florida court system. The case was delayed multiple times, with the trial ultimately taking place in June 2024 — nearly five years after the murders. The Lee County jury heard testimony from witnesses, law enforcement officials, and forensic experts over the course of the trial.

In June 2024, the jury convicted Wade Wilson on two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz. The penalty phase followed in August 2024. Despite the jury's recommendation, the judge imposed the death sentence. Wilson was transferred to Florida's death row following sentencing.

Post-conviction appeals were filed following the August 2024 sentencing. As of the most recent review of this page, those appeals remain pending in the Florida appellate court system. Wade Wilson remains incarcerated on death row at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida.

The survivor's account

The Worst Ex Ever episode's narrative anchor is Kelly Matthews, who dated Wade Wilson in 2018 — a year before the Cape Coral murders — when he went by his middle name "Steven." Matthews has spoken on the record about the manipulation and warning signs she observed during their relationship, and about her decision to end the relationship before Wilson's violence escalated to homicide.

Matthews's testimony in the Netflix docuseries provides viewers with insight into Wilson's behavioral patterns: the use of aliases, the charm offensive followed by controlling behavior, and the gradual revelation of a violent temperament. Her account is corroborated by court records and law enforcement interviews.

Public reaction

The Wade Wilson case attracted unusual public attention partly because of the defendant's name. Wade Wilson shares a birth name with the Marvel Comics character Deadpool, played on screen by Ryan Reynolds. Media outlets began referring to him as the "Deadpool Killer," and the nickname became widely associated with the case.

During the 2024 trial, Wilson's mugshot went viral on social media platforms, with some users posting comments about his physical appearance. This phenomenon drew criticism from victims' advocates and the families of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz, who argued that the social media attention trivialized the murders and re-traumatized survivors.

The true crime docuseries Worst Ex Ever addresses this dynamic directly in its Cape Coral episode, examining how viral attention can distort public understanding of violent crimes. The Netflix series uses the Wilson case to explore broader questions about celebrity culture, social media, and the way true crime cases are consumed as entertainment.

Timeline

1. 2018

   Kelly Matthews meets Wade Wilson on a dating app in West Palm Beach; Wilson goes by his middle name 'Steven'.

2. 2019-10-07

   Wilson murders Kristine Melton at her Cape Coral, Florida home.

3. 2019-10-07

   Wilson abducts and murders Diane Ruiz in Cape Coral hours later.

4. 2024-06

   A Lee County jury convicts Wilson on two counts of first-degree murder.

5. 2024-08

   Wilson is sentenced to death.

People involved

• Wade Steven Wilson — Perpetrator. Wade Steven Wilson — known in media as the 'Deadpool Killer' — is the Florida man convicted in 2024 on two counts of first-degree murder for the October 2019 killings of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz in Cape Coral, Florida, and sentenced to death.
• Kelly Matthews — Survivor. Kelly Matthews is the Florida survivor who dated Wade Wilson in 2018 — a year before his 2019 Cape Coral murders — and whose testimony anchors the Worst Ex Ever Season 2 premiere.

Legal proceedings

Wade Steven Wilson

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