Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz: The Wade Wilson Victims
Updated August 2026: Wade Wilson is now featured in Netflix's Worst Ex Ever Season 2. See the update below.
Victims Diane Ruiz and Kristine Melton
Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz were the two women Wade Wilson was convicted of murdering in Cape Coral, Florida, in October 2019. Melton was 35 and Ruiz was 43. They did not know one another, but both encountered Wilson during a violent span of less than 24 hours. Wilson was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to death.
The case is receiving renewed attention after Netflix’s Worst Ex Ever featured Wilson in its second season. The episode, titled Dating the Deadpool Killer, examines the violence that preceded the murders and the institutional failures described in reporting about his earlier alleged conduct.
Who did Wade Wilson kill?
Wade Wilson was convicted of murdering Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz.
Kristine Melton was killed after meeting Wilson at a Cape Coral bar on the night of October 6, 2019. Prosecutors said Wilson went to her home, strangled her, and left in her vehicle.
The following day, Diane Ruiz was walking to work in Cape Coral when Wilson offered her a ride. Prosecutors said Wilson attacked Ruiz, forced her from Melton’s vehicle, and repeatedly drove over her.
Who was Kristine Melton?
Kristine Melton was 35 years old and lived in Cape Coral. On the night she was killed, she had been out with a friend at Buddha Live, a local bar. There, she met Wilson, who introduced himself as “JR.”
Melton allowed Wilson to come to her home after the evening out. Prosecutors said that, after her friend left, Wilson strangled Melton inside the home and took her car. Her death and the missing vehicle became the starting point for the investigation that ultimately connected two separate murders.
Kristine was more than the first victim in a case timeline. She was a daughter, a friend, and a person whose life was cut short after a seemingly ordinary night out.
Who was Diane Ruiz?
Diane Ruiz was 43 years old, a mother, and was engaged to be married. On the morning of October 7, 2019, she was walking to work in Cape Coral when she encountered Wilson in the vehicle taken from Melton’s home.
Prosecutors said Wilson offered Ruiz a ride, attacked her, pushed her from the vehicle, and then drove over her repeatedly. Her body was discovered days later.
Diane’s murder was not connected to Kristine through friendship, work, or family. The connection was Wade Wilson and the vehicle he had taken after killing Melton.
What happened to Wade Wilson and Mila?
“Mila” is the name used in our episode for a former girlfriend of Wade Wilson. She was not one of the murder victims and survived Wilson’s attack.
State prosecutors said that, after Wilson killed Kristine Melton and stole her car, he attacked his girlfriend at her Fort Myers business. She got away and contacted law enforcement. The difference is important: Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz were killed; Mila survived.
Why is Wade Wilson in Netflix’s Worst Ex Ever?
Netflix’s Worst Ex Ever Season 2 includes an episode titled Dating the Deadpool Killer. The episode revisits Wilson’s escalating violence and the case of Kelly Matthews, a former girlfriend whose earlier report to law enforcement drew scrutiny after Wilson later murdered Melton and Ruiz.
The documentary attention has caused new viewers to ask who Wilson killed, who Mila was, and what happened in Cape Coral. This page focuses on the people at the center of those questions: Kristine Melton, Diane Ruiz, and the survivor whose encounter with Wilson came before Ruiz’s murder.
Where is Wade Wilson now?
Wade Wilson was convicted of the murders of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz in June 2024. A judge sentenced him to death in August 2024. He remains in the Florida prison system while the appellate process continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were Wade Wilson’s victims?
Wade Wilson was convicted of murdering Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, in Cape Coral, Florida, in October 2019.
Who did Wade Wilson kill?
Wilson was convicted of killing Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz. Melton was killed after meeting Wilson at a bar; Ruiz was killed the following day after Wilson encountered her while she was walking to work.
What happened to Mila in the Wade Wilson case?
Mila is the name used in our episode for one of Wilson’s former girlfriends. She survived Wilson’s attack and was not one of the murder victims.
Is Wade Wilson on Netflix?
Yes. The Netflix series Worst Ex Ever Season 2 includes an episode about Wilson titled Dating the Deadpool Killer.
Where is Wade Wilson now?
Wilson was sentenced to death in 2024 and remains in the Florida prison system while his case continues through the appellate process.
Sources
[1] State Attorney’s Office, 20th Judicial Circuit: Wilson sentenced to death
[2] Netflix Tudum: Worst Ex Ever Season 2
[3] Court TV: Wade Wilson’s attorney promises appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court
[4] The News-Press: Worst Ex Ever examines the Wade Wilson case
