Related videos:
The execution of Michael Tanzi, who murdered Janet Acosta, an employee of the Miami Herald, nearly 25 years ago, is scheduled for April 8 at the Florida State Prison.
The case, which caused a stir in the south of the state in 2000, has regained public attention due to the last-minute legal efforts initiated by his defense to halt the execution.
A crime that shocked Miami and the Florida Keys
On April 12, 2000, Janet Acosta was enjoying her lunch break reading quietly inside her parked truck in a park in Miami.
It was then that Michael Tanzi, who was 23 at the time, violently burst into the vehicle. He approached her, punched her in the face, pushed her, got into the car, and drove away.
For hours, Tanzi kept Acosta captive while heading towards the Florida Keys.
During that course, he tied her up, sexually assaulted her, used her bank card to withdraw money from several ATMs, and finally strangled her in a secluded area of Cayo Cudjoe.
He later abandoned the body and continued his journey to Key West, where he met up with friends.
Acosta's disappearance was reported by his relatives. The victim's truck was found days later abandoned on Duval Street in Key West, a bustling area filled with tourists.
Tanzi's confession came quickly: When confronted by the agents, he confessed to his crime and led the investigators to the location where he had abandoned the body.
A conviction without a doubt and a death sentence confirmed
In 2003, following a legal process in which Tanzi pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery, a jury unanimously recommended the death penalty.
Since then, the defendant has filed multiple appeals, all of which have been denied.
Finally, the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, signed the execution order on March 10, setting the date for April 8, 2025.
This will be the third execution of the year in Florida.
In February, James Dennis Ford was executed for the murder of a couple in 1997, and in March, Edward James was executed, convicted of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl and the homicide of her grandmother in Seminole County.
An unexpected turn: Tanzi claims that his health makes execution without suffering impossible
As the date of his execution approaches, Michael Tanzi's defense has initiated a new legal action.
In a petition filed before the Florida Supreme Court, the attorneys argue that their client's physical conditions, including morbid obesity, sciatica, acid reflux, and sleep apnea, could interfere with the lethal injection procedure.
"The current protocol does not include adjustments to the sedative dosage based on the individual's weight," the defenders explained in their appeal, as reported by the local press.
According to their estimates, the sedative etomidate may not take full effect, leaving Tanzi “paralyzed but conscious” during the administration of sodium acetate, which would cause an “internal burning sensation” and prolonged suffering.
They also warned that Tanzi could suffer from "pulmonary edema, which would cause him a feeling of suffocation and drowning," and that being on his back would increase the medical risks of aspirating his own vomit.
"Executing Mr. Tanzi using existing protocols will likely cause him serious illness and unnecessary suffering," the lawyers concluded.
Medical and logistical difficulties
One of the key elements of the appeal is related to the difficulty of inserting the intravenous lines necessary to administer the cocktail of three drugs that make up Florida's lethal injection protocol.
Tanzi's extreme obesity would complicate venous access, a problem that could lead to delays, failed punctures, and increased agony.
The lawyers insisted that the state is not prepared to execute individuals with the complex medical conditions presented by their client.
"The existing protocols for lethal injection do not take into account the execution of individuals with obesity and uncontrolled medical conditions, such as those of Mr. Tanzi, which would likely complicate the process," they stated in the legal motion.
State response: "There is no evidence that the protocol is unconstitutional."
The office of the Florida Attorney General, led by James Uthmeier, responded harshly to the appeal, accusing Tanzi's lawyers of acting with delay.
“Tanzi offers no support for his unfounded claim that the massive dose of etomidate will not work in his case”, stated the Prosecutor's Office in its document.
According to Uthmeier, the sedative has been used "repeatedly and successfully" in previous executions, with no evidence of failures related to the weight of the condemned.
He also recalled that the convicted had "plenty of time" to raise this type of objections and that doing so a week before the execution reveals a purely delaying strategy.
The debate on the death penalty in the United States
The Tanzi case revives a national discussion about the application of the death penalty and the standards of humanity that must be upheld in its execution.
Although Florida considers two methods—lethal injection and the electric chair—the debate has intensified in recent years regarding the effectiveness and possible side effects of the drugs used.
In fact, the controversy is not limited to the state of the Sun.
In South Carolina, a man on death row chose to be executed by firing squad, fearing that lethal injection would lead to a slow and painful death. This was the first execution of its kind in the state and the first in the U.S. in over 15 years.
With the execution date approaching, the final decision now rests with the Florida Supreme Court.
If the suspension is granted, the process will resume based on the medical and legal assessment of the risks presented by the execution of Tanzi. Otherwise, the third execution of the year will take place in Florida next Tuesday, April 8.
Filed under: