This week, the U.S. Justice system is set to decide whether Wade Wilson (30), infamously known as the “Deadpool Killer” due to his shared name with the Marvel character, will face the death penalty for a series of crimes that concluded with a double femicide on a single night in October 2019.
Wilson has been convicted of murdering Kristine Melton (35) and Diane Ruiz (43). Prosecutors allege that he “killed for the sake of killing” on October 6, 2019. Assistant State Attorney Sara Miller described the murders as “shockingly evil and vile,” detailing how Wilson meticulously planned and executed the killings of the two women, whom he tortured.
“Deadpool Killer”: A “monster” who killed two women in one day is close to execution.
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Following a deliberation of an hour and 45 minutes on June 25, the jury voted 9-3 in favor of the death penalty for Melton’s murder and 10-2 for Ruiz’s murder, meeting Florida’s legal requirement of at least eight jurors in favor. As a result, Judge Nicholas Thompson will decide next Tuesday whether to send Wilson to death row.
Under Florida law, if sentenced to capital punishment, Wilson can choose between two execution methods: lethal injection (the default method) or electrocution. Once Florida’s Supreme Court confirms the sentence, if Wilson opts for electrocution, he must submit a written request to the prison director within 30 days.
Wilson’s behavior during the sentencing, described as “smug” and “smiling,” went viral on TikTok. Executions in Florida, whether by lethal injection or electric chair, take place at the Florida State Prison in Raiford. The executioner, who can remain anonymous by law, is paid $150 per execution.
If the death penalty is confirmed, Wilson will join a list of 276 men condemned to death at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, near Jacksonville.
#### The Crimes Committed by the “Deadpool Killer”
Wilson met Kristine Melton on the afternoon of October 6 at a live music bar and went home with her and her friend Stephanie to Melton’s house in Cape Coral, Florida. “She was attracted to him. He seemed attracted to her,” Stephanie testified in court.
After Stephanie left, Wilson strangled Melton while she slept and stole her car. Melton’s body was found the next day inside her home, bound and showing signs of a struggle, including broken nails and internal and external bruises.
Hours later, using Melton’s car, Wilson attacked Diane Ruiz by asking for directions to a nearby school. When the mother of two tried to leave, Wilson struggled with her and strangled her. Realizing Ruiz was still alive, he pushed her out of the car and ran over her up to 20 times. “He told me he went back into the car and ran over her until she looked like spaghetti,” Wilson’s father testified.
Ruiz’s body was found three days later in a field behind a Sam’s Club store. “Vultures usually circle dead bodies,” testified Sergeant Justin DeRosso. Ruiz had bruises on her face, broken nails, a broken nose, and nearly a dozen fractured ribs, according to Deputy Prosecutor Andreas Gardiner.
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At the age of 25, Wilson drove Melton’s car to Fort Myers and attacked his ex-girlfriend Melissa Montanez. In court, Montanez testified that she was furious because Wilson had taken her car the night before and just wanted it back.
The argument escalated into insults, assault, and intimidation. Montanez testified that Wilson hit and strangled her, revealing that his plan was to kill her and then take his own life. “He has two sides: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He can be the sweetest guy you ever met, but he’s also a monster,” she said.
Wilson then fled Florida in the stolen car, traveling to Ohio, where he broke into the home of retirees Fanny and Kent Amlin. He was arrested on October 8 with several alcoholic beverages inside the house and detained without bail.
The defense argued during the trial that Wilson has a “sick mind” and suffers from “drug addiction.” Forensic psychiatrist Mark Mills, called by the defense, testified that Wilson suffered from “some form of psychotic disorder.”
However, Prosecutor Sara Miller told the jury: “It is not credible that a mental illness led the defendant to murder Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz. He was driven by power, lust, control, and hatred. Both murders were especially heinous and cruel. He caused pain and showed a complete disregard for Melton’s life.”
