Netflix dropped the second season of Worst Ex Ever on May 6, and the first episode has everyone talking. The episode titled “Dating the Deadpool Killer” tells the story of Wade Wilson, a Florida man who shares his name with the famous Marvel character. But unlike the funny superhero, this Wade Wilson is a convicted double murderer sitting on death row.
The true-crime series uses police bodycam footage, interviews, and animated reenactments to show how Wilson went from charming bar patron to convicted killer in just a few hours back in 2019. Viewers are left shocked and asking the same question: Where is Wade Wilson now?
Wade Wilson Is Currently on Death Row in Florida
Wade Wilson, 31, is alive and incarcerated at the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida. This prison houses the state’s male death row inmates. He has been there since his death sentence was handed down in August 2024.
Even though he received the death penalty, he does not have an execution date yet. His lawyers are actively appealing his conviction and sentence. These legal appeals could take many years to finish.
Judge Nicholas Thompson called Wilson’s crimes “heinous, atrocious and cruel.” For the murder of Diane Ruiz, the judge added that it was “cold, calculated and premeditated.” The jury recommended death by a vote of 9-3 for killing Kristine Melton and 10-2 for killing Ruiz.
Why Netflix Viewers Are Calling Him the ‘Deadpool Killer’
Wilson did not choose his nickname. He got it simply because he shares a name with the Marvel character Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds in the movies. The name stuck during his 2024 trial when his mugshot and tattoos went viral online.
The Netflix episode explains how a woman named Kelly Matthews thought she found a perfect partner. She knew him as “Steven.” Later, she found out his real name is Wade Wilson. When she searched his name online, she discovered his arrest record and violent past. The episode shows how Wilson hid his true identity from her while allegedly dating her.
The Horrifying Timeline of the 2019 Murders
On October 6, 2019, Wilson went to a bar in Cape Coral, Florida. He met Kristine Melton, 35, and went home with her. The next morning, after her friend left the house, Wilson strangled Melton to death in her own bed. He then stole her black Nissan Versa.
Later that same morning, Wilson came across Diane Ruiz, 43, who was walking to work. Ruiz was a mother of two and a bartender. Wilson reportedly asked her for directions and convinced her to get in the car. When she tried to leave, Wilson strangled her. He then pushed her out of the car and ran over her body multiple times.
Wilson later told investigators that he ran over Ruiz until “she looked like spaghetti.” Prosecutors said he killed the two women “for the sake of killing.”
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Wilson Received Thousands of Messages in Jail After His Trial
After Wilson was found guilty in June 2024, he received over 3,900 messages on the prison messaging system. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed he also got 65 physical letters. He accepted 279 connection requests from people contacting him. Inmates also sent him 754 photos, but the jail rejected 163 of them for being inappropriate.
His adoptive parents asked the court to spare his life. They wrote a letter saying, “The hopes and dreams of his life are already lost, but the human is still in there somewhere.”
Two Other True-Crime Shows Have Covered Wilson in 2026
Worst Ex Ever is not the only show looking at this case this year. In January 2026, Paramount+ released a three-part series called “Handsome Devil: Charming Killer.” That show also focused on Wilson’s crimes and his time on death row. The series highlighted how he used his appearance and charm to attract victims before his violence took over.
Between the Netflix and Paramount+ shows, Wilson has become one of the most discussed true-crime figures of the year.
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