Yes, Wade Wilson is alive. The Florida man known as the “Deadpool Killer” sits on death row at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida, where he has been held since August 2024 after being sentenced to death for the 2019 murders of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz in Cape Coral. No execution date has been set, and his mandatory appeal is still pending before the Florida Supreme Court.1Florida Courts. Wade Steven Wilson v. State of Florida, SC2024-1345
Where Wade Wilson Is Being Held
Wilson is housed at Union Correctional Institution, Florida’s main men’s death row facility. He lives in a 7-by-9-foot cell. Death row inmates there are counted at least once an hour and must wear handcuffs any time they are moved outside their cell, the exercise yard, or the shower. They wear orange shirts that distinguish them from the general population. The cells have no air conditioning and no cable television, though inmates are allowed a radio and a 13-inch TV. Meals come three times a day in the cell. Showers are daily for inmates participating in dayroom activities and three times a week otherwise. Every visitor has to be pre-approved.2Yahoo News. Inside Handsome Devil Charming Killer
Why He Is on Death Row
On October 7, 2019, Wilson killed two women in Cape Coral in a single day. He strangled 35-year-old Kristine Melton in her home after meeting her at a Fort Myers bar the night before, then stole her car. Later that day, driving Melton’s car, he lured 43-year-old Diane Ruiz into the vehicle by asking for directions, beat and strangled her, pushed her out, and ran her over repeatedly. Trial testimony indicated he drove over Ruiz between 10 and 20 times.3News-Press. Wade Wilson Florida Killer Death Row Timeline
On June 12, 2024, a Lee County jury found Wilson guilty on all six counts against him, including two counts of first-degree murder. After a penalty phase, the jury recommended death for both killings by votes of 9-3 for Melton’s murder and 10-2 for Ruiz’s murder.4News-Press. Wade Wilson Death Sentence Florida Killer Those non-unanimous recommendations were permitted under a 2023 Florida law that dropped the threshold from a unanimous jury vote to a minimum of 8-4.5NJ.com. Does Wade Wilson Have an Execution Date After Death Sentence On August 27, 2024, Judge Nicholas Thompson imposed two separate death sentences, finding both murders “heinous, atrocious and cruel” and the second “cold, calculated and premeditated.”3News-Press. Wade Wilson Florida Killer Death Row Timeline
The Appeal That Is Keeping Him Alive
In Florida, every death sentence is automatically appealed to the state Supreme Court. Wilson’s case, Wade Steven Wilson v. State of Florida (SC2024-1345), was docketed on September 16, 2024, and remains open.1Florida Courts. Wade Steven Wilson v. State of Florida, SC2024-1345
The appeal raises seven issues. The central one challenges the 2023 non-unanimity law. Wilson’s attorneys argue the law should not have applied to his case because his crimes were committed in 2019, before the law was enacted, and that applying it to him violates the Ex Post Facto clauses of the U.S. and Florida constitutions.5NJ.com. Does Wade Wilson Have an Execution Date After Death Sentence6News-Press. Handsome Devil Wade Wilson Case May Make It to U.S. Supreme Court
Oral arguments were held before the Florida Supreme Court on February 5, 2026. Defense attorney Michael Ufferman spoke for about four minutes, saying he did not intend to “waste this court’s time rearguing things that have already been considered.”7Yahoo News. Handsome Devil Wade Wilson Taking That brevity reflected the court’s recent track record: in December 2025, in Hunt v. Florida and Jackson v. Florida, the Florida Supreme Court had already upheld the 2023 law, ruling that an 8-4 jury recommendation does not violate the Eighth Amendment.8WLRN. Florida Supreme Court Rejects Challenges to Death Penalty Law Ufferman has said publicly he intends to carry the case to the U.S. Supreme Court regardless of the Florida outcome, and he has preserved the constitutional arguments for federal review.9Court TV. Wade Wilson
As of mid-2026, the Florida Supreme Court has not issued a ruling following the February oral argument.1Florida Courts. Wade Steven Wilson v. State of Florida, SC2024-1345
How Long Before an Execution Could Happen
Even if the Florida Supreme Court affirms his death sentences, Wilson’s execution would be years away at a minimum. Under Florida procedure, a death-sentenced inmate cannot be executed until all appeals are exhausted, executive clemency has been denied by the governor, and a death warrant has been signed.10Florida Attorney General. Victims Rights in the Capital Appeals Process
After the direct appeal, defendants can pursue post-conviction motions in state court on grounds such as ineffective assistance of counsel or newly discovered evidence. From there, federal review runs through the U.S. District Court, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court on a habeas corpus petition.10Florida Attorney General. Victims Rights in the Capital Appeals Process Wilson’s lead appellate attorney has signaled he intends to use that full federal track.9Court TV. Wade Wilson
The timelines involved are long. The Florida Department of Corrections reports an average time on death row of 25 years, and the capital appeals process nationally averages 10 to 15 years or more.11News-Press. Convicted Killer Wade Wilson Lives on Death Row in a Florida Prison Wilson’s direct appeal alone has already been pending for more than a year and a half.
Separate Drug Sentence
Two days after the death sentences, on August 29, 2024, Wilson was sentenced in a separate drug case. He pleaded no contest to attempted trafficking in methamphetamine and conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine and received 12 years on each count, to run concurrently with the death sentences. The charges came out of a 2023 investigation that began after Wilson overdosed while in custody at the Lee County Jail.12State Attorney’s Office, 20th Judicial Circuit. Convicted Killer Wade Wilson Sentenced in Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy Case Those drug counts have no bearing on whether or when the death sentences are carried out.
Why the Question Keeps Coming Up
Wilson’s status is a frequent search because his case has an unusually active audience. During and after his 2024 trial, hundreds of women expressed romantic infatuation with him online after his mugshot circulated, earning him the nickname “Deadpool Killer” after the Marvel character whose name he shares.13Fox News. Hundreds Women Pledge Loyalty Deadpool Killer Despite Brutal Double Murder Confession A Fundly campaign titled “Save Wade Steven Wilson” raised more than $70,000 from 370 donors by August 2024, including a single $24,000 contribution, and a dedicated website operates under the banner “United for Wade.”11News-Press. Convicted Killer Wade Wilson Lives on Death Row in a Florida Prison The anti-death-penalty group Death Penalty Action has also run a clemency petition, which has collected more than 7,400 signatures and centers on the same Ex Post Facto argument raised in the appeal.14Action Network. Stop the Execution of Wade Wilson in Florida
Two recent productions have renewed interest in his case. The three-part Paramount+ docuseries Handsome Devil: Charming Killer premiered on January 20, 2026, drawing on police bodycam footage, interviews with State Attorney Amira Fox, and recorded calls between Wilson and his biological father.15Naples Daily News. Handsome Devil Wade Wilson Killer Documentary Release Date Where Watch Netflix’s Worst Ex Ever featured Wilson in the first episode of its second season, “Dating the Deadpool Killer,” told through the account of ex-girlfriend Kelly Matthews.16Netflix Tudum. Worst Ex Ever Season 2 Release Date News Neither production changes his legal status. He remains alive, on death row, with his appeal pending and no execution date on the calendar.