Wade Wilson, the Florida man convicted of murdering two women in a single day in 2019, is preparing to take his dєatᩚh sentences before the United States Supreme Court. His appellate attorney confirmed the plan during a brief appearance before the Florida Supreme Court in February 2026, signaling that the high-profile case may eventually reach the nation’s highest court.
Wilson was sentenced to dєatᩚh in August 2024 by Lee Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson for the killings of Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43. The murders took place on October 7, 2019, in the Cape Coral and Fort Myers area. Prosecutors told the jury that Wilson met Melton at a live-music venue in Fort Myers, killed her hours later, and then used her car to stop Ruiz on a Cape Coral street. He was accused of selecting, isolating, torturing, and strangling both women. In Ruiz’s case, authorities said he also repeatedly drove over her body. Wilson later described the crimes in a recorded phone conversation with his biological father.
A jury recommended the dєatᩚh penalty by votes of 9-3 for Melton’s murder and 10-2 for Ruiz’s. Under a Florida law that took effect in 2023, a unanimous jury recommendation is no longer required for a dєatᩚh sentence. An 8-4 majority is now sufficient to make a defendant eligible. Wilson’s legal team has challenged the application of this non-unanimous standard, arguing that it raises consтιтutional questions—particularly because the crimes occurred in 2019, before the law changed.
On February 5, 2026, defense attorney Michael Ufferman appeared before the Florida Supreme Court and spoke for only about four minutes. He told the justices he did not intend to re-argue points already decided in earlier cases and made clear that Wilson’s attorneys planned to seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The unusually short presentation drew a light comment from one of the justices. Wilson’s direct appeal raised seven separate issues seeking to overturn the two dєatᩚh sentences.
Wilson has attracted widespread attention beyond the courtroom. His distinctive appearance, including extensive face tattoos, and an unusual online following that developed during the trial turned the case into a national media story. In January 2026, Paramount+ released a three-part documentary series тιтled Handsome Devil: Charming 𝘬iᩚller, which examined both the crimes and the public fascination surrounding him.
Wilson remains on dєatᩚh row at Union Correctional Insтιтution in Raiford, Florida. No exє𝔠uti☉n date has been set. He is one of several defendants in Lee County whose cases have tested the revised dєatᩚh-penalty rules. His attorneys continue to pursue the consтιтutional challenge to Florida’s non-unanimous jury recommendation law, positioning the case for possible review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The legal process continues, with the outcome of any federal appeal still to be determined.
Sources : Fort Myers News-Press
