At a Glance
- Wade Wilson murdered Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz on October 7, 2019, within hours
- He confessed the crimes to his biological father, who alerted police and helped secure his arrest
- Wilson was sentenced to death in August 2024 after a jury found him guilty on six charges
- Why it matters: The case fuels a new Paramount+ docuseries exploring how Wilson’s mugshot went viral and the brutal details behind the double homicide
A Florida jury sent Wade Wilson to death row in August 2024 for the October 7, 2019 strangulation murders of Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, in Cape Coral. Wilson’s own biological father, Steven Testasecca, turned him in after the killer phoned to confess, leading to Wilson’s arrest the next day. The gruesome crimes and the online frenzy around Wilson’s mugshot are now the focus of the Paramount+ docuseries Handsome Devil: Charming Killer, which premiered on January 20.
The Night of the Murders
Wilson met Melton at a Fort Myers bar on October 6, 2019, and returned to her home, where he strangled her in her sleep, according to News Of Los Angeles. After stealing her car, he drove around Cape Coral and spotted Ruiz walking to her bartending job. Wilson lured her into the vehicle, beat and strangled her, then ran her over multiple times after pushing her from the car.
| Victim | Age | Circumstance | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kristine Melton | 35 | Strangled in her own home | Manual strangulation while asleep |
| Diane Ruiz | 43 | Attacked en route to work | Beaten, strangled, run over |
Assistant State Attorney Andreas Gardiner told jurors the case was “about killing for the sake of the killing,” adding that “strangulation is the epitome of life slipping through someone’s hands.”
From Confession to Capture
Wilson placed a series of calls to Testasecca on October 8, 2019, admitting he had “done something that he couldn’t take back,” Testasecca recalled. The father then convinced Wilson to surrender peacefully and contacted authorities. Wilson was arrested the same day.
Key timeline:
- October 6, 2019: Meets Melton at bar
- October 7, 2019: Kills Melton, then Ruiz
- October 8, 2019: Confesses to father; arrested
Trial and Verdict
In June 2024, a Lee County jury convicted Wilson on six charges, including:
- Two counts of first-degree murder
- Burglary
- Battery
Judge Nicholas Thompson underscored the cruelty, stating the evidence showed “both murders were heinous, atrocious and cruel,” and that the second murder was “cold, calculated and premeditated.”
Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore sat with the victims’ families as the verdict was read. “The families expressed to me their gratitude for the hard work of our team,” he said in a statement released after the trial.
Online Notoriety and Docuseries
Wilson’s 2019 mugshot drew widespread attention online, with some users romanticizing his appearance. The Paramount+ series Handsome Devil: Charming Killer examines both the crimes and the social-media reaction, seeking to understand why Wilson committed the murders and how his image captivated the internet.
Key Takeaways
- Wade Wilson received a death sentence for the 2019 double homicide
- His biological father’s decision to report the confession proved pivotal
- The case highlights the intersection of true crime, viral imagery, and justice
- The three-part docuseries released on January 20 revisits the brutality and the online fascination surrounding the killer
