FORT MYERS, FLORIDA — Wade Wilson was convicted of murdering two women in a brutal 2019 killing spree.

He was sentenced to death.

And yet, behind prison walls, the man prosecutors portrayed as exceptionally violent developed something few people could have predicted: a devoted following of women who wrote him love letters, sent money and talked openly about wanting a relationship with him.

The disturbing phenomenon has continued to attract attention in 2026, years after Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz were killed in Cape Coral.

A new Paramount+ documentary, Handsome Devil: Charming Killer, has now brought that unusual fan culture back into the spotlight.

💔 TWO WOMEN WERE KILLED IN A SINGLE DAY
Wilson’s case began on October 7, 2019.

Prosecutors said he first met 35-year-old Kristine Melton at a bar before going with her to her home.

She was later found dead.

Wilson then encountered 43-year-old Diane Ruiz.

The prosecution presented evidence that he forced Ruiz into a vehicle, attacked her and ultimately killed her.

The two women did not know each other.

Their deaths became the foundation of a capital-murder prosecution that would eventually lead to two death sentences.

⚖️ THE JURY CHOSE DEATH
A Lee County jury convicted Wilson of two counts of first-degree murder in 2024.

During the penalty phase, jurors recommended death by votes of 9-3 for Melton’s murder and 10-2 for Ruiz’s murder. Judge Nicholas Thompson later imposed two death sentences.

Wilson has continued to challenge the death sentences.

Importantly, his current direct appeal focuses on the legality of the death-penalty procedure rather than simply arguing that the murders did not happen.

💌 THEN CAME THE FANS
While Wilson’s case was moving through court, something entirely different was happening outside the courtroom.

Women began contacting him in large numbers.

Some sent handwritten letters.

Others sent photographs, money and gifts.

Some expressed romantic feelings and talked about marrying Wilson or having children with him.

The New York Post reported that hundreds of women became involved with the convicted killer, despite knowing the details of the murders.

The attention became so intense that Wilson appeared to develop his own prison-based fan culture.

And it wasn’t limited to anonymous messages online.

Some supporters became personally involved.

💰 SUPPORTERS SENT HIM MONEY
According to reporting surrounding the documentary, one fundraising effort connected to Wilson collected roughly $100,000.

The stated purpose was to help with his legal expenses.

But documentary producer Brian Ross said some of the money was used for everyday prison purchases, including food and snacks.

Other supporters sent him clothing and helped prepare him for court appearances.

One woman reportedly bought suits and shirts for Wilson and even purchased makeup in an effort to conceal some of the distinctive tattoos covering his face.

The level of devotion stunned the people documenting the case.

🧠 WHY WOULD ANYONE FALL FOR A CONVICTED KILLER?
That question is at the center of Handsome Devil: Charming Killer.

The three-part Paramount+ series explores the psychology behind Wilson’s online following and the phenomenon sometimes associated with attraction to notorious criminals.

The documentary includes interviews with Wilson’s family, former partners, investigators and a criminologist, as well as prison communications and other case material.

One explanation discussed by people interviewed for the documentary is that physical distance can create a peculiar sense of security.

A prisoner can communicate, show affection and create an emotional connection while remaining physically unable to enter the other person’s daily life.

But that does not explain every supporter.

The women involved have had different backgrounds and different reasons for contacting him.

📱 HIS APPEAL EXTENDED BEYOND LETTERS
Some supporters reportedly participated in calls with Wilson and developed what they considered genuine emotional relationships.

According to documentary coverage, some women described themselves as being in love with him.

Others defended him despite his conviction.

The result was a bizarre contrast: Wilson was behind bars for two murders while people outside prison were treating him like a romantic celebrity.

That contrast is one reason the case continues to generate fascination.

🎬 THE DOCUMENTARY PUTS THE FAN CULTURE FRONT AND CENTER
Handsome Devil: Charming Killer premiered on January 20, 2026 and consists of three episodes: The Manhunt, Wade’s Wives and The Death Penalty.

Paramount+ describes the series as an examination of how a convicted murderer became a viral heartthrob and how fame, desire and infamy combined to create a devoted following.

The series does not simply retell the murders.

It examines what happened afterward — particularly how Wilson’s image spread online and why people became emotionally attached to him.

🚨 BUT THE LEGAL CASE IS STILL MOVING
The fascination surrounding Wilson should not obscure the fact that he remains under a death sentence.

His case is pending before the Florida Supreme Court under case number SC2024-1345.

Wilson’s attorney argued before the court on February 5, 2026, challenging the use of Florida’s post-2023 death-penalty law, which allows a jury to recommend death without unanimity. In Wilson’s case, the votes were 9-3 and 10-2.

His attorney also said he intended to preserve the constitutional arguments for possible review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

So while Wilson has been sentenced to death, the legal process is not finished.

⏳ THERE IS STILL NO CONFIRMED EXECUTION DATE
Despite the death sentences, Wilson does not currently have a publicly confirmed execution date.

He remains on Florida’s death row while the appellate process continues.

That means the online attention surrounding him is happening while he remains in a legal limbo that could last for years.

His supporters can continue writing.

His documentary can continue drawing viewers.

But the final outcome of his death sentence still depends on the courts.

🕯️ THE VICTIMS HAVE NOT DISAPPEARED FROM THE STORY
The attention surrounding Wilson has sometimes overshadowed the women he was convicted of killing.

Kristine Melton was 35.

Diane Ruiz was 43.

Their names are at the center of the original case, even if much of the modern fascination has shifted toward Wilson himself.

That is one of the most unsettling aspects of the phenomenon: the convicted killer has become a celebrity figure while the victims can be reduced to background characters in the story of his notoriety.

The documentary attempts to examine that phenomenon rather than simply celebrate it.

🔎 THIS IS MORE THAN A TRUE-CRIME FASCINATION
The story raises uncomfortable questions about how fame works in the internet age.

A person’s crimes can make them notorious.

Their appearance can become part of their public identity.

Social media can amplify that image.

And eventually, notoriety itself can attract people who know the person primarily through headlines, photographs and carefully chosen fragments of their personality.

Wilson’s case is an extreme example.

He is not simply a convicted murderer with a few letters from admirers.

He became the subject of an organized, visible fan culture strong enough to inspire a documentary.

🚨 “DEADPOOL KILLER” REMAINS A SOCIAL-MEDIA PHENOMENON
The nickname attached to Wilson comes from his shared name with Marvel’s fictional character.

The real Wade Wilson, however, has a very different history.

The man sitting on Florida’s death row was convicted of killing two women in 2019.

The bizarre popularity that followed has not changed that legal reality.

A documentary can explain the phenomenon.

Fans can defend him.

Supporters can write letters.

But none of those things changes the verdict.

⚖️ THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE DECIDED IN COURT
For now, two stories are unfolding at the same time.

One is the strange story of the women who continue to express affection for a convicted double murderer.

The other is the much more consequential legal story of whether Wilson’s death sentences will survive appellate review.

The Florida Supreme Court has already heard oral argument.

Wilson’s attorneys have signaled that they may continue to the U.S. Supreme Court.

And until the appeals are resolved, there is no execution date on the calendar.

So the “Deadpool Killer” remains exactly where the law says he should be: convicted, sentenced to death and awaiting the next stage of the judicial process.

Meanwhile, the extraordinary question that made his case famous in the first place remains:

How did a man convicted of two brutal murders end up with hundreds of people on the outside declaring their loyalty to him?

The documentary may offer explanations.

But the phenomenon itself remains one of the strangest chapters in modern true crime.

Sources: Florida Supreme Court — Wade Steven Wilson v. State of Florida, SC2024-1345