BUFFALO, N.Y. — There's some closure for a 2019 triple murder that shook the Queen City.
“I can only say that there's a special place in hell for somebody like this defendant today, and he should rot where he belongs,” said Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
Thursday, Deandre Wilson was found guilty of 15 charges, including murder, in that case.
He faces 40 years to life behind bars for his role in that 2019 drug deal gone wrong.
“The defendant, DeAndre Wilson, pistol whipped Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred," described Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Adler. "He then proceeded to shoot and kill Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon and Nicole Marie Merced-Plaud.”
What followed was an hours-long effort by multiple people to cover up the crime. A body dismembered, all three set on fire, and a 3-year-old boy traumatized and left alone on a stranger’s porch.
“They brought justice not only to all the family members, who are also victims of this crime, this horrific crime," said the FBI's acting special agent in charge Michael Stansbury. "They brought justice to what is now a 6-year-old boy who had to watch both his parents murdered in front of him and forever remember that.”
The trial lasted six weeks and included testimony from two co-defendants who already pleaded guilty.
“[It] should have resulted in the guilty verdict even if we had never had those two individuals testify," explained Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Tripi. "But as they were involved with Deandre Wilson during parts of the facts that culminated in these murders, I'm sure that the jury appreciated having the whole story.”
Wilson previously served time for second-degree murder. These murders happened 11 months after he was released. Once he was arrested again, the drug ring he was involved in was dismantled.
“They were trafficking enormous amounts quantities of drugs, multiple different types of drugs, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana," said Adler. "That no longer exists.”
U.S. Attorney Trini Ross said this is the final conviction for people involved in this crime.
She thanked everyone involved for getting this guilty verdict, which will hopefully allow the victims’ families to move forward.
“We understand that there is nothing we can do to bring your loved ones back," she said. "But know, we did what we were able to do.”
Officials were not able to give any status update on the young child in this case.