As Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters worldwide, a convicted Florida killer who shares his name with the movie's main character awaits his fate .
Deadpool is the alter ego of Wade Wilson, Marvel's trigger-happy mercenary played by Ryan Reynolds .
The non-fictional Wade Wilson , 30, was found guilty in June of the brutal 2019 murders of Kristine Melton , 35, and Diane Ruiz , 43 in Cape Coral.
The jury recommended death sentences for each of the murders. Trial judge Nicholas Thompson will decide whether to impose the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Wilson is due back in court August 27 for sentencing .
Wilson's legal team has filed a motion asking for a new trial or acquittal on the murder and several other charges. Thompson has not yet ruled on that motion.
Here's what to know about the murders Wade Wilson was convicted of, his victims and upcoming sentencing:
Wade Wilson crimes
Wilson, then 25 years old, met Kristine Melton , 35, and her friend Stephanie Sailors on Oct. 7, 2019, at Buddah LIVE, a Fort Myers bar.
After the bar closed, Wilson and the two women went to the home of Jayson Shepard where they stayed for several hours before leaving in the morning.
Wilson, Melton and Sailors then went Melton's Cape Coral home . After Sailors left, Wilson strangled Melton to death as she slept in her bed and stole her car.
A short time later, Wilson saw 43-year-old Diane Ruiz walking along a Cape Coral street, asked her for directions to a nearby school and lured her into the car.
When Ruiz tried to exit the car, Wilson attacked her, beating and strangling her before pushing her out of the car and running her over 10 to 20 times.
After the murders, Wilson called his biological father Steven Testasecca several times confessing to and narrating the gruesome details of his crimes.
Testasecca contacted police and Wilson was arrested Oct. 8, 2019 .
Wade Wilson victims Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz
Kristine Melton grew up in Illinois and moved with a friend to Cape Coral where she worked as a waitress.
She reportedly was godmother to her cousin Samantha Catomer's child, owned a cat and lived in a Cape Coral duplex.
Melton loved to dress up and her favorite holiday was Halloween, Catomer testified during Wilson's trial.
Melton had a quick wit, made everyone around her feel safe and understood and "was precious, not just to me, but to everyone who knew her," Catomer said.
Melton was 35 years old when she met Wilson at Buddah LIVE, a Fort Myers bar. After leaving the bar and spending several hours at the home of Jayson Shepard, Melton, Sailors and Wilson went to Melton's duplex.
After Sailors left, Wilson strangled her to death in her sleep.
Diane Ruiz , 43, a mother and engaged to be married, was described as caring and hardworking.
She worked as a bartender at the Moose Lodge in Cape Coral and never missed a shift in five years.
Ruiz was walking to work for her 10 a.m. shift when she encountered Wilson.
A short time after killing Melton, Wilson saw Ruiz walking along a Cape Coral street and lured her into the car after asking her for directions.
When she tried to leave, Wilson beat and strangled Ruiz, pushed her out of the car and ran her over repeatedly.
Her body was found in a field three days later.
Wade Wilson's father Steven Testasecca was key to his arrest
After the murders, Wilson called his biological father , Steven Testasecca, several times confessing to the crimes in gruesome detail.
"I am a killer," Wilson said, according to Testasecca's testimony .
Testasecca said Wilson confessed to choking Melton after she went to sleep and stopping Ruiz for directions before she got into the car, choking her while he drove.
According to Testasecca's testimony, Wilson said Ruiz was still breathing before he repeatedly ran her over.
After initially dismissing the calls and attributing the admissions to Wilson being a "good storyteller," Testasecca, 46, put his phone on speaker with Wilson's biological mother listening in and relaying information to police.
Testasecca asked Wilson for his location and told him he would send an Uber to him. Instead, his whereabouts were provided to police who arrested Wilson on Oct. 8, 2019 .
Wade Wilson sentencing
On June 25, 2024, the jury in Wilson's trial recommended he receive the death penalty for each of the murders.
During the penalty phase of the trial, jurors had the option of recommending life in prison without parole or death.
Florida juries were required to vote unanimously for a death sentence recommendation until April 2023 when Gov. Ron DeSantis lowered the threshold by signing into law a bill allowing juries to recommend death with as few as 8 votes .
After considering aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the jury voted 9-3 and 10-2 for death.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 27, 2024, and it will be up to Judge Nicholas Thompson to decide whether death or life without parole sentences are imposed.
Who is Wade Wilson in Deadpool & Wolverine movie?
In the Marvel Comics and movies, Deadpool is the alter ego of Wade Wilson, a trigger-happy mercenary highly trained in martial arts and swordsmanship with accelerated healing powers through the Weapon X program that essentially make him immortal, according to USA TODAY.
Because Deadpool had cancer during Weapon X, his cancer cells regenerate as fast as his normal cells, leaving his body heavily scarred and the reason he wears a full face mask.
USA TODAY described Deadpool & Wolverine as a "dysfunctional dynamic duo makes its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in this meta comedy adventure. Wisecracking masked mercenary Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is given a chance to be a bona fide hero, and to save the day this time, he needs to have an epic team-up with a clawed (and crabby) X-Man (Hugh Jackman)."
Deadpool & Wolverine premiered in New York City on July 22, with the official U.S. release coming July 26.
Contributing: Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters as FL killer, Deadpool namesake Wade Wilson awaits sentence
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