A man convicted of killing two Florida women in 2019 has been sentenced to death. The 30-year-old, known as Wade Wilson and dubbed the 'Deadpool killer' due to sharing a name with the Marvel Comics character, showed no emotion as the judge handed down the sentence.
Wilson was found guilty of strangling Kristine Melton to death and then beating, strangling, and running over Diane Ruiz with his car on the same day. The judge described the murders as heinous, atrocious, and cruel, with the second murder being cold, calculated, and premeditated.
Ten out of 12 jurors voted for the death penalty in Ruiz's murder, while nine out of 12 voted for death in Melton's murder, meeting the state law requirement of eight jurors for the death penalty.
State Attorney Amira Fox stated that Wilson will 'pay the ultimate price' during a news conference following the sentencing, where families of the victims were also present.
During the trial, the defense argued that Wilson had a 'diseased mind' and suffered from the 'disease of drug addiction.' Despite a motion for a new trial or acquittal being denied, the sentencing was delayed due to a defense motion regarding expert witness testimony scheduling.
Ruiz's father, Felix Ruiz, expressed determination, stating, 'This is not the end. The end is when the accused takes his last breath, and I will be there at the execution. That's a promise.'
