Wade Wilson, infamously dubbed the “Deadpool Killer,” was sentenced to death on Tuesday, August 27, for the horrific murders of two women in Florida.
The 30-year-old Fort Myers resident remained expressionless as Judge Nicholas Thompson of the Lee Circuit Court delivered the sentence. Judge Thompson condemned the killings as “heinous, atrocious, and cruel,” highlighting that the second murder was “cold, calculated, and premeditated.”
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In June, Wilson was found guilty of two counts each of first-degree felony murder and first-degree premeditated murder. He strangled Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, on October 6, 2019, in Cape Coral. The jury recommended the death penalty, voting 9-3 for Melton’s murder and 10-2 for Ruiz’s. Florida law requires at least eight out of twelve jurors to agree for a death sentence to be imposed.
The jury cited aggravating factors, including the “heinous, atrocious, or cruel” nature of the crimes and Wilson’s prior criminal record. During the sentencing hearing, Wilson’s attorney, Lee Hollander, pleaded for life sentences instead of the death penalty, arguing that Wilson’s potential mental impairment should be considered. Hollander emphasized that the death penalty is irreversible. However, Prosecutor Andreas Gardiner argued that Wilson’s actions were “pitiless and without conscience,” reducing the victims, Melton and Ruiz, to mere memories.
According to prosecutors, Wilson met Melton at a live music bar and later killed her at her home, stealing her car afterward. He then encountered Ruiz on a Cape Coral street, pretending to ask for directions before strangling her and running her over multiple times. The two victims were strangers to each other. The court heard disturbing details of the injuries: Melton had severe bruising, hemorrhages, and internal organ damage, while Ruiz suffered multiple fractures, lacerations, and extensive bruising.
In his final ruling, Judge Thompson weighed the aggravating factors against any mitigating circumstances, concluding that nothing in Wilson’s background or mental state justified sparing him from the death penalty.
Before the sentencing, three women wrote to Judge Thompson, pleading for clemency on Wilson’s behalf. They cited his mental health issues, substance abuse problems, and lack of parental support. One of the letters, from Lindsay Brann, a mother in Alberta, Canada, noted, “It is clearly documented that Mr. Wilson suffers from mental health issues severely aggravated by drug use.”
