Who is Wade Wilson? Inside the 'Deadpool Killer' case, victims, death sentence, and more

Wade Wilson, known as the 'Deadpool Killer,' was convicted of two murders in Cape Coral, Florida, in October 2019, leading to a death sentence in August 2024.

Wade Wilson is a Florida man born in 1994 who became known across the country for a pair of brutal murders in Cape Coral. By his mid‑20s, he had been arrested several times. The killer had a reputation for violent behavior, long before the crimes that earned him the nickname “Deadpool Killer.” He is now the subject of the first episode of Season 2 of the Netflix docuseries Worst Ex Ever.

Wade Wilson is known as the Deadpool Killer. (GoGetFunding/ Wade Wilson )

Real name that matches Deadpool

Wade Wilson shares his first and last name with the Marvel antihero Deadpool, which is how he got the “Deadpool Killer” label. A true‑crime producer who worked on the Paramount+ docuseries Handsome Devil said, “We realised early on that the name match was going to be unavoidable; people were already calling him the ‘Deadpool Killer’ online.”

The double murder in Cape Coral

In October 2019, then‑25‑year‑old Wilson attacked and killed two women—35‑year‑old Kristine Melton and 43‑year‑old Diane Ruiz. He attacked his two victims within hours of each other in Cape Coral. Sgt. Joe Testasecca, the lead detective on the case, told reporters, “The sheer violence and speed with which he struck both women in one day showed a level of brutality that stunned even seasoned investigators.”

Violent attack on his girlfriend

On that same day, Wilson also assaulted his then‑girlfriend at her workplace, leaving her badly injured. Assistant State Attorney Andreas Gardiner, who prosecuted the case, later said, “The attack on the girlfriend was part of a pattern of rage and control that he had displayed in his past relationships.”

Trial and death‑penalty sentence

In June 2024 a Florida jury found Wilson guilty of two counts of first‑degree murder and several other charges. A legal analyst and court reporter, Brian Ross covered the trial. He claimed about the trial, “Given the cruelty of the killings and his prior record, the death penalty was virtually certain once the jury reached a guilty verdict.” Wilson was sentenced to death in August 2024 by Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson, stating the crimes as heinous, atrocious and cruel.”

Dark online persona and public reaction

Wilson’s heavily tattooed body and online posts helped fuel the “Deadpool” image that reporters and fans latched onto. Fans on true‑crime forums have debated the nickname. A Reddit user wrote under the Handsome Devil thread, “The ‘Deadpool Killer’ name is creepy, but it makes you pay attention to how ordinary evil can look.”