Detective Potter has wildly different job after Deadpool killer Wade Wilson case seven years ago
Topics: True crime, Netflix
Kiesha Dosanjh
Featured Image Credit: Paramount+
Topics: True crime, Netflix
Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
Netflix has dropped the second series of true crime documentary, Worst Ex Ever - revisiting the October 2019 murders of 35-year-old Kristine Melton and 43-year-old Diane Ruiz, in the first episode, Dating the Deadpool Killer.
Months before Wade Wilson committed the two murders, which happened within days of each other, Wilson had beaten and sexually assaulted his girlfriend (now ex) Kelly Matthews.
In February 2019, he and Kelly had gotten into an argument in the car over him going to ‘rehab’. When Kelly got out of the car, Kelly said Wilson attempted to run her over, and told her to get back in.
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“As soon as I did that, he started strangling me with both hands,” she said in the Netflix documentary,
Wilson then allegedly pushed her onto the floor of the car, and tied her up with her top and sports bra, that he had taken off with a pocket knife, threatening to stab her if she moved.
Kelly then said he ripped off her shorts and sexually assaulted her.
Kelly's case was handled by Detective Potter, who, after interviewing Wilson, let him walk free.
Potter was investigated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, and despite still working for the PBC Sheriff's Office - has a very different role from before.
As per News-Press, a spokesperson for the Sheriff's office said in 2024 Potter started working as a deputy in July 2000 and continues working in a road patrol role with the sheriff's office's Alternate Response Unit. In a new comment to UNILAD, a spokesperson for the department confirmed Potter is still working with the Alternate Response Unit.
Wilson was later sentenced to death for the murders, which prompted Kelly to file a complaint against the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for not thoroughly investigating her sexual assault.
The Sheriff’s Office conducted an internal affairs investigation, and found that Detective Potter did not do a thorough investigation on the sexual assault of Kelly Matthews.
The Netflix documentary reveals Detective Potter was supposed to be suspended for three weeks, but only ended up being suspended for two.
PBC Sheriff's office declined to be interviewed by Netflix about Kelly’s case.
Potter's handling of the case has caused outrage online with Netflix viewers.
Four hours after the assault in 2019, Kelly reported the sexual assault to Detective Potter, who told her to explain the assault to him to ‘help him understand’ what she means - in phone calls played on the true crime Netflix doc.
One week later, Wilson was brought in for questioning by Potter, who denied everything. Potter then told Wilson: “That’s all I need to hear. You know that and I know that,” before telling him he was ‘doing great’.
“I ain’t putting a wrong man in jail, I’ll be damned if I do that,” he said. Potter took DNA from Wade, but later closed the case without getting the DNA back.
“I have no proof,” he stated. “This is just a ‘he said she said’. There were no witnesses.”
Kelly begged the Detective to close the case, but he did.
UNILAD has contacted the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for comment.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org