Everything we know about 'Deadpool Killer' who was sentenced to death following horrific double murder
An American man on death row was dubbed the 'Deadpool Killer' because he shared his name with the Marvel superhero.
30-year-old Florida man Wade Wilson gained notoriety when he was arrested for two murders and his trial garnered a significant amount of attention.
He was found guilty and received the death sentence for his crimes, for which he is now imprisoned on death row.
Here's everything we know about his case and crimes.
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His crimes
Wilson had received several criminal convictions prior to his murder trial, having been sent to prison in 2013 for burglary and ending up behind bars again in 2017 for stealing firearms.
In October 2019, Wilson committed two murders a few hours after each other, his first victim was Kristine Melton, a woman he met at a bar who Wilson later strangled to death in her own home.
He then stole the woman's car and drove away to the home of his ex-girlfriend Melissa Montanez where he assaulted her.
He then encountered Diane Ruiz, who he asked for directions and persuaded to get in the car with him.
He then pushed her out of the car and killed her as he drove over her between 10 and 20 times, with a court hearing that he did not stop running the woman over 'until she looked like spaghetti'.
Wilson was arrested on 8 October after he called his father, Steven Testasecca, and confessed to the murders. Ruiz's body was found two days later.
His trial
Charged with the murders of Kristine and Diane, while in jail awaiting trial Wilson had multiple tattoos applied to his face, including swastikas.
In 2020, Wilson and another cellmate were accused of attempting to escape from prison, having tampered with their cell window and arranged for a getaway vehicle.
When confronted with what he'd done at his trial, Wilson appeared to show no emotion, and he was found guilty of the murders of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz, the battery of Melissa Montanez, burglary and grand theft auto of Melton's car.
Nine of the 12 jurors recommended the death penalty for his murder of Melton, and 10 jurors recommended it for his murder of Ruiz.
His sentencing
The judge had the power to heed or disregard the jury's recommendation, and decided to sentence Wilson to death for his crimes.
The murderer made a hand signal as the jury offered their recommendation of the death penalty after the court heard he'd committed the murders 'for the sake of killing'.
Florida County's Circuit Judge Nicholas R Thompson said: "The evidence shows the murders were heinous, atrocious and cruel and that the second murder was cold, calculated and premeditated."
Wilson's lawyer later said: "I understand he has other cases pending here and elsewhere... but Mr Wilson asked me to ask the court within whatever authority you have to get him to death row as soon as possible."
On death row
Death penalty cases are automatically appealed at Florida's Supreme Court, so despite Wilson's request to 'get him to death row as soon as possible' an appeal was made.
Since he's on death row in Florida he will be allowed to choose between lethal injection and the electric chair as the method that will execute him.
After being sentenced to death he also pleaded no contest to drug trafficking charges and received a 12 year sentence which will run concurrently with his death sentence.
Wilson's notoriety bought him a kind of fame and he has received many messages during the course of his incarceration, some of which were blocked as 'inappropriate'.
Now he sits in prison waiting for his appeals process to reach its conclusion, with the final destination being his execution.
The Florida Department of Corrections says that a death row inmate spends on average 13.22 years incarcerated there.
Joe Harker