UPDATE: WADE WILSON STILL ON DEATH ROW — TWO YEARS AFTER JUDGE SENTENCED THE “ᴅᴇᴀᴅPOOL KILLER” TO DIE

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA — Two years after a Florida judge sentenced Wade Wilson to death for the murders of two women, the convicted killer remains on death row as his legal fight continues through the courts.

Wilson was condemned in August 2024 for the killings of Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, two women he encountered during a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly spree in Lee County in October 2019.

The sentencing became one of the most closely watched moments of the case.

But the death sentence did not end the legal process.

Today, Wilson remains incarcerated while his mandatory appeal is still pending before the Florida Supreme Court. The court’s official case record, SC2024-1345, continues to list the matter as open.

⚖️ THE JURY RECOMMENDED DEATH FOR BOTH MURDERS
Wilson was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in June 2024.

During the penalty phase, jurors recommended death by a vote of 9-3 for Melton’s murder and 10-2 for Ruiz’s murder.

Under Florida’s revised death-penalty law, a unanimous recommendation was no longer required.

The recommendations cleared the statutory threshold, allowing Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson to impose the death penalty.

On August 27, 2024, Wilson was formally sentenced to death for both murders.

💔 TWO WOMEN, ONE DEVASTATING DAY
The case began with the death of Kristine Melton.

Prosecutors said Wilson met her in Fort Myers and later went to her home with her. Melton was killed there, and Wilson took her vehicle.

Later that same day, Wilson encountered Diane Ruiz.

Prosecutors presented evidence that he forced Ruiz into the stolen vehicle, attacked her and ultimately killed her.

The killings of two women who did not know each other became the central reason prosecutors pursued two separate death sentences.

🚨 THE SENTENCING HEARING REVEALED JUST HOW SEVERE THE CASE HAD BECOME
At sentencing, prosecutors emphasized the violence of the crimes and the evidence they had presented during trial.

The defense, meanwhile, attempted to place Wilson’s behavior in the context of his history, including substance abuse and mental-health issues.

But the jury had already rejected the defense arguments during the conviction and penalty phases.

The final decision was therefore not life in prison.

It was death.

🔎 BUT THE APPEAL HAS NEVER DISAPPEARED
In capital cases, a death sentence automatically triggers appellate review.

Wilson’s case was opened before the Florida Supreme Court in September 2024.

His lawyers have focused much of the appeal on the consтιтutionality of Florida’s revised death-penalty procedure, particularly the rule allowing a jury recommendation for death without unanimity.

That issue became especially important in Wilson’s case because both death recommendations were less than unanimous.

🏛️ THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT HEARD HIS CASE IN 2026
A major step occurred on February 5, 2026, when Wilson’s attorney appeared before the Florida Supreme Court for oral argument.

The hearing was brief.

Wilson’s lawyer acknowledged that the state’s highest court had recently dealt with similar consтιтutional arguments in other death-penalty cases.

He nevertheless argued that the issues should remain preserved for possible review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

That hearing marked an important point in the appeal, but it did not mean Wilson’s execution was imminent.