Wade Wilson, the man dubbed the “Deadpool Killer,” has been sentenced to death after he was found guilty of killing two Florida women in 2019.
Trigger Warning: Descriptive details about the murders.
Wade, who is known for his noticeably offensive face and head tattoos, remained stoic in the courtroom as Florida’s Lee County Circuit judge Nicholas Thompson officially sentenced him on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
The “Deadpool Killer” was found guilty in June of the murders of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz. The 30-year-old had strangled Melton to death as she slept the morning after he met her at a local bar. Hours later, he beat, strangled, and ran over Ruiz with his car after noticing her on a street.
“The evidence shows the murders were heinous, atrocious and cruel. and that the second murder was cold, calculated, and premeditated,” Judge Thompson stated during sentencing. He agreed with the jury’s recommendation of two death sentences, one for each murder.
Fox News reports that 10 of the 12 jurors voted in June to put Wilson to death for killing Ruiz. Nine of the 12 jurors then voted for the death penalty in Melton’s murder.
In a press conference following the sentencing, Florida State Attorney Amira Fox stated, “He will pay the ultimate price.”
Wilson’s legal team filed a motion on July 3, asking for a new trial or acquittal. However, the request was denied by Judge Thompson on Aug. 15. The sentencing was originally for July 23. However, it was pushed back due to the defense’s motion, which involved the scheduling of an expert witness testimony.
Wilson was dubbed the “Deadpool Killer” due to his sharing a name similar to the Marvel Comics character.
Deadpool Killer’s Girlfriend Was Also Assault Amid His Killing Spree
During the trial, prosecutors revealed that Wade Wilson killed Kristine Melton after they had a drug-fueled encounter. After strangling Melton, he stole her car and called his girlfriend, Melissa Montanez.
After Wilson assaulted her, Montanez stated she refused to get the vehicle.
Following his interaction with Montanez, he came across Ruiz, who was just asking for directions to Cape Coral. he invited her into the vehicle.
Wilson admitted to not only strangling and throwing Ruiz out of the car, but he also stated he ran over her with the vehicle “until she looked like spaghetti.”
“This case was about killing for the sake of the killing,” Assistant State Attorney Andreas Gardiner stated in the courtroom. “Strangulation is the epitome of life slipping through someone’s hands.”
The defense team tried to use the argument that Wilson had brain damage due to years of drug use. He also had abandonment issues caused by his biological parents giving him up for adoption.
His adoptive parents pleaded with the court to not give him the death penalty. They wrote in a letter that they believed “the human is still in there”
“Please see it in your heart not take our son,” they requested.
Along with the murders, Wilson was found guilty of grand theft, burglary of a dwelling, battery, and petit theft.