Wade Wilson Killed 2 Women and Described the Brutal Murders Over the Phone. Inside the “Handsome Devil: Charming Killer” Case

NEED TO KNOW

• Wade Wilson killed Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz in October 2019

• Wilson confessed his crimes to his biological father, who alerted authorities

• Wilson and the murders are the focus of the Paramount+ docuseries Handsome Devil: Charming Killer

In June 2024, Wade Wilson was found guilty of killing two women within hours of each other in Cape Coral, Fla.

Wilson — who has been referred to as the “Deadpool Killer” because of their shared name — already had a few run-ins with the law by that point. But he escalated to murdering on Oct. 7, 2019, when he killed Kristine Melton, 35, in her sleep and Diane Ruiz, 43, on the street while on the way to her job.

“The evidence showed both murders were heinous, atrocious and cruel,”  20th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Nicholas Thompson said during Wilson’s 2024 sentencing hearing in Florida. “And that the second murder was cold, calculated and premeditated.”

Now, Wilson’s crimes and the subsequent online attention are explored in the Paramount+ docuseries Handsome Devil: Charming Killer. The three-part show, which premiered on Jan. 20, investigates why Wilson committed the murders and how his mugshot spurred an online frenzy.

Here’s everything to know about Wade Wilson’s crimes and arrest.

Who is Wade Wilson?

Wilson was born to teenage parents in Florida on May 20, 1994, according to The News-Press. He was adopted by a couple named Steve and Candace Wilson shortly after and was raised in Tallahassee, where he attended Chiles High School, Newsweek reported.

During Wilson’s murder trial, his biological father, Steven Testasecca, testified that the pair reconnected when Wilson was 18 and remained in “sporadic” contact, per The News-Press.

Prior to his conviction in Melton and Ruiz’s murders, Wilson amassed a criminal record by the time he was in his 20s, including for offenses including burglary and battery.

In early 2019, about nine months before his arrest for the murders, his ex-girlfriend accused him of stealing her laptop and cellphone, kidnapping and raping her.

However, they were under a no-contact court order and authorities ultimately chose not to investigate the kidnapping and rape allegations, according to The News-Press.

Who were Wade Wilson’s victims?

On Oct. 7, 2019, Wilson killed Melton and Ruiz within hours of each other in separate incidents.

Melton was living and working as a waitress in Cape Coral, Fox 4 reported. After meeting Melton at a local Fort Myers bar the night prior, Wilson returned home with her, where he later strangled her to death in her sleep, according to the outlet. Wilson then stole Melton’s car and fled the scene.

While driving around, Wilson spotted Ruiz walking to work and stopped to ask for directions. A mother of two and engaged to be married, Ruiz was working as a bartender at a local Cape Coral eatery.

After luring her into his car under false pretenses, Wilson beat and strangled Ruiz before pushing her out of the vehicle and running her over multiple times, according to USA Today.

“This case was about killing for the sake of the killing,” Assistant State Attorney Andreas Gardiner said during the closing arguments of Wilson’s trial in June 2024, per Fox 4. “Strangulation is the epitome of life slipping through someone’s hands.”

How did Wade Wilson get caught?

Wilson was arrested on Oct. 8, 2019, after confessing to the murders in a series of phone calls with his biological dad, Testasecca, The News-Press reported.

“The first time, he said he needed help. He had done something that he couldn’t take back,” Testasecca recalled, per Fox 4. “There was two people gone that would not be back. He said I’m a killer.”

After Wilson described the murders and aftermath, Testasecca contacted authorities and alerted them to his son’s confessed crimes. He then convinced Wilson to surrender “peacefully.”

What sentence did Wade Wilson receive?

Following a lengthy trial, Wilson was found guilty by a Florida jury in June 2024.

He was convicted of six charges, including battery, burglary and two counts of first-degree murder, according to USA Today. In August 2024, he was subsequently sentenced to death.

After Wilson was found guilty, Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore released a statement regarding the Ruiz and Melton families’ reaction to the verdict.

“This afternoon in the Lee County Courthouse, I sat with the families of Diane Ruiz and Kristine Melton as the verdict was read: Wade Wilson was found guilty on all counts,” Sizemore said. “The families expressed to me their gratitude for the hard work of our team.”

Read the original article on People