New true crime series on Wade Wilson's Cape Coral murders stirs emotions

CAPE CORAL - A new documentary on Paramount Plus is shedding light on one of Southwest Florida's most notorious cases. "Handsome Devil: Charming Killer" revisits the 2019 murders of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz, along with the unsettling internet fame that followed their killer, Wade Wilson.

For Donna Cosgrove, the series is a painful reminder of her lost co-worker.

"He's an evil, evil monster," said Cosgrove.

Cosgrove worked with Diane Ruiz at the Moose Lodge and noticed something was wrong when Ruiz missed a shift in October 2019.

"We used to sit and wait for her to come... when she didn't come, we knew something was wrong," said Cosgrove.

Wilson murdered Ruiz and Melton just hours apart, later becoming infamous as the "Deadpool Killer" for his name and crimes.  His trial attracted a disturbing online fanbase. Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore expressed the chilling nature of the crimes.

 "The manner in which these crimes were carried out was so horrific... an individual who was enticed by the idea of killing people. It’s unprecedented," said Sizemore.

The three-part series delves into Wilson's "dark charm," but for those who knew and loved the victims, he is nothing more than a monster.

"He's just an evil monster. It's disgusting what he did to her," said Cosgrove.

WINK Security Analyst Richard Kolko shared insights from Mary Ellen O'Toole, a retired FBI profiler.

O'Toole explained that people, especially women, often find violent offenders like Wilson fascinating.

"There are people and it's particularly women who are very fascinated with these men," said O'Toole. "It can be a fascination with what they've done because they are so violent. It can be a fascination combined with how they look. It can be a sexual attraction to these individuals but they are very attracted to them."

She noted that this fascination often leads to communication, visits, and even marriage proposals, despite the lack of empathy for the victims.

"I think that there are women that minimize what the violence is, [they think] 'yes, maybe they did do it, but they're exciting, and they're probably still good people'," said O'toole.

She shared her experience talking to women involved with violent offenders, saying, "I have talked with women in the past that have been in relationships with men who are very violent, men who are incarcerated, men who have been convicted of serial murder."

O'Toole believes the documentary will likely attract new interest in Wilson, possibly even internationally. She couldn't predict if Wilson would welcome the attention, as some offenders enjoy it while others ignore it.

O'Toole, now a college professor, plans to watch the documentary as research for her class.

The series is now available on Paramount Plus.

Wilson is currently appealing his death sentence, arguing that a newer law was unconstitutionally applied to his case.