Florida ‘fledgling serial killer’ to be executed for lady’s brutal kidnap and homicide | EUROtoday

A Florida loss of life row inmate branded a “fledgling serial killer” is ready to be executed through deadly injection on Tuesday for the brutal homicide of a newspaper worker 24 years in the past.

Michael Tanzi, 48, was sentenced to loss of life in 2003 for the slaying of Janet Acosta, a 49-year-old Miami Herald worker.

“What we have here is a fledgling serial killer,” Miami police Detective Frank Casanovas mentioned on the time, in line with the Herald.

Tanzi additionally confessed to killing Caroline Holder in Brockton, Massachusetts, a number of months earlier than Acosta’s homicide. He by no means confronted extradition or trial over that killing due to his loss of life sentence within the Acosta case.

Acosta was spending her lunch break in her automotive on the Japanese Gardens in Miami on April 25, 2000, when Tanzi noticed her within the car.

Tanzi approached her as she learn a ebook and requested for a cigarette. He was stranded in Miami and wanted a experience to Key West, about 159 miles away.

While she was distracted, he punched her within the face till he gained entry into the automotive. He drove away with Acosta, threatening her with a razor blade, court docket paperwork state. He later stopped at a gasoline station in Homestead, grabbing a rope and towel to bind and gag her.

He advised Acosta if she made any noise, he would “cut her from ear to ear.” Also, whereas on the gasoline station, he compelled her to carry out oral intercourse and additional threatened to kill her if she injured him.

Tanzi continued driving till they reached the Florida Keys. He stopped in Tavernier round 5.15pm to withdraw cash from Acosta’s checking account. He had stolen $53 from her earlier to purchase cigarettes and a soda on the gasoline station. To use her financial institution card, he threatened her once more and obtained her PIN. Later, he stopped at a ironmongery store to purchase duct tape and extra razor blades.

An hour later, Tanzi determined he wanted to eliminate Acosta as a result of she was “getting in the way,” in line with the filings.

“He also knew he would get caught quickly if he released her alive.”

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Upon arriving at an remoted space in Cudjoe Key, Tanzi advised Acosta he was going to kill her, and crosslaced a chunk of rope and commenced strangling her. To stifle the noise, he stopped to put duct tape over her mouth, nostril and eyes. He strangled her till she died and disposed of her physique in an space the place he thought she would go unnoticed, in line with information.

In the approaching days, Tanzi frolicked in Key West, procuring, consuming, smoking marijuana and visiting mates, all whereas utilizing Acosta’s ATM card. He deliberate to entry extra of her cash, sleep in a resort, purchase medication and alter the van’s look.

But on April 27, 2000, police noticed him returning to the automotive, which had been positioned beneath surveillance after Acosta’s family and friends reported her lacking.

Police detained Tanzi and obtained receipts from his pocket displaying ATM withdrawals and purchases with Acosta’s card. After police approached him, he mentioned he “knew what this was about,” including he wished to speak “about some bad thing he had done.”

Tanzi advised officers he had assaulted, robbed, kidnapped, sexually battered and killed Acosta, repeating his confession a number of occasions on audio and video. He confirmed police the place he had disposed of her physique and the duct tape he used within the homicide.

The man was indicted for first-degree homicide and charged with carjacking with a weapon, kidnapping to facilitate a felony with a weapon, armed theft with a lethal weapon and two counts of sexual battery with a lethal weapon.

He initially pleaded not responsible however entered a responsible plea to first-degree homicide, carjacking, kidnapping and the armed theft counts shortly earlier than trial. A jury unanimously really useful a loss of life sentence, and the presiding choose agreed.

Tanzi is being held on the Florida State Prison in Raiford, the place he’s scheduled to be executed at 6.00 pm on Tuesday.

In March, his attorneys filed a movement with the state Supreme Court to remain his execution, arguing he shouldn’t be put to loss of life as a result of they haven’t been in a position to get hold of substantial paperwork within the case and their shopper suffers from sciatica, morbid weight problems and uncontrolled hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux illness.

His jail physician decided that mendacity on his again for an prolonged interval could be very more likely to lead to extreme ache resulting from his 380 lbs dimension. Tanzi is because of be executed through deadly injection. The technique has been recognized to fail or take a number of hours if the medication will not be administered correctly.

Dr Joel Zivot, an affiliate professor at Emory University’s Department of Anesthesiology and Surgery, decided that Tanzi would want to carry nonetheless whereas mendacity flat on his again throughout the execution.

“Any excess body movement risks dislodging the catheters,” he mentioned. “To secure Mr Tanzi’s body from movement, an extremely high amount of forceful restraint will need ot be applied…Forceful restraint and a supine posture expose him to needless suffering, cruelty and pain.”

The court docket denied the movement earlier this month. Afterward, his attorneys filed a keep software with the US Supreme Court. In response to that movement, state attorneys argued Tanzi’s case didn’t present a novel argument as to why a last-minute keep is warranted that will outweigh the state’s curiosity in implementing the regulation.

Friends and household described Acosta as a bookworm who loved touring, mountain climbing, and the outside, in line with USA Today.

After Tanzi was sentenced to loss of life, the girl’s sister, Julie Andrew, advised the Herald her household “wanted to see justice done for my sister. And we wanted to make sure no one else had to go through what we went through.”