Convicted Cop Killer Ronell Wilson Gets Death Penalty
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The man convicted of murdering two NYPD detectives has been formally sentenced to die.
A judge pronounced the death sentence for Ronell Wilson, 31.
In July, a jury decided Wilson should be sentenced to death by lethal injection after a retrial.
Wilson was convicted of killing undercover detectives Rodney Andrews and James Nemorin on Staten Island in 2003. The two were posing as gun buyers.
Convicted Cop Killer Ronell Wilson Gets Death Penalty
Ronell Wilson stood and faced the victims' families during the sentencing.
Wilson told the families he's deeply sorry for the pain he caused, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported.
"To err is human, to forgive is divine," said Wilson. "I leave on that note."
Convicted Cop Killer Ronell Wilson Gets Death Penalty
The judge called the execution-style killing of the detectives "one of the most grisly and horrific crimes the city has ever seen," as he announced the death sentence.
In a statement released following Wilson's sentencing, U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said the sentence "marks the end of a ten-year odyssey in the relentless pursuit of justice."
"This sentence follows the recommendation of a jury of Wilson's peers that justice requires the imposition of the ultimate punishment for the vicious and senseless murder of two husbands, two fathers and two protectors of the City of New York. With this sentence, we can only hope that the families of New York City Police Detectives Andrews and Nemorin will take some comfort in its finality," she said.
LINK: U.S. Attorney's Statement On Sentencing (pdf)
Hundreds of police officers were expected to attend Tuesday's sentencing.
Wilson received a death sentence in 2007, but it was overturned because of mistakes made by the prosecution.
A judge ruled in February that Wilson's IQ scores show he is not mentally retarded. The ruling cleared the way for another possible death sentence.
This past winter, Wilson made headlines when it was revealed that a correction officer guarding him was eight months pregnant with his child.
EXTRA: Read The Nancy Gonzalez Complaint (.pdf)
Nancy Gonzalez, 29, was arrested following the revelations. She faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of engaging in a sexual relationship with an inmate.
Prosecutors said Gonzalez and Wilson had intercourse with the "sole purpose of impregnating her."
At sentencing, the judge called for a formal investigation into the affair.
Gonzalez's attorney denied the pregnancy was designed to help Wilson avoid death row.
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