CAPE CORAL – A new documentary on Paramount is shining a spotlight on a notorious figure from Southwest Florida.
Wade Wilson, convicted of killing two women in Cape Coral in 2019, is the focus of “Handsome Devil: Charming Killer.”
The documentary delves into the investigation of Wilson’s crimes and his unexpected online fanbase.
Wilson was convicted in 2024 for the murders of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz and was sentenced to death.
Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore shared his thoughts on the day Wilson received his sentence, saying, “What I told the families of Christine and Diane is closure is kind of an abstract word. I can’t define that, and I don’t think you’re going to get that walking out of the courtroom and peace is something you want to work towards.”
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.