Florida executes ‘fledgling serial killer’ for homicide of girl he snatched on her lunch break | EUROtoday

Michael Tanzi, a Florida loss of life row inmate as soon as branded a “fledgling serial killer,” has been executed for the brutal kidnapping and homicide of a newspaper worker 24 years in the past.

Officials introduced Tanzi’s loss of life shortly after 6.00 pm ET, his scheduled execution time. He was executed by way of deadly injection at Florida State Prison in Raiford and his time of loss of life was 6.12 pm.

In his ultimate assertion, Tanzi mentioned, “I want to apologize to the family” after which recited a Bible verse.

Executioners administered a dose of the deadly cocktail and Tanzi’s chest heaved for 3 minutes, then stopped. A member of the execution group walked over to him, shook his shoulders and mentioned his identify loudly to find out whether or not he was aware. Moments later, the inmate was declared useless.

Tanzi was the third individual Florida has put to loss of life this yr and the primary of two U.S. executions scheduled for this week. Mikal Mahdi is about to be executed in South Carolina by firing squad on Friday.

Tanzi’s attorneys requested the US Supreme Court for a keep of execution final week, arguing that administering a deadly injection to him may end in excessive ache as a result of his 380 lb dimension.

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 through the execution or physique actions may dislodge the catheters.

“To secure Mr Tanzi’s body from movement, an extremely high amount of forceful restraint will need to be applied…Forceful restraint and a supine posture expose him to needless suffering, cruelty and pain,” Zivot mentioned in court docket filings.

The court docket denied the request hours earlier than the execution.

Tanzi, 48, kidnapped and murdered Miami Herald worker Janet Acosta, 49, on April 25, 2000. He 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.

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She had been studying in her automotive throughout a lunch break at Miami’s Japanese Gardens when Tanzi noticed her.

He approached her and requested for a cigarette. Needing a experience to Key West, 159 miles away, Tanzi waited for her to turn into distracted and commenced punching her till he gained entry to the car and took off.

During the hours-long ordeal, he tortured and raped her.

At one level, he informed the girl that if she made any noise, he would “cut her from ear to ear” with a razor blade.

That night time, after arriving within the Florida Keys, Tanzi determined he’d must eliminate Acosta as a result of she was “getting in the way.”

“He also knew he would get caught quickly if he released her alive,” the information state.

He drove to an remoted space in Cudjoe Key and informed Acosta he was going to kill her. He crosslaced a chunk of rope and strangled her till she died. To stifle the noise, he put duct tape on her mouth, nostril and eyes. He then disposed of her physique in an space the place he thought she’d go unnoticed.

Tanzi would later admit to this in audio and video police interviews.

In the next days, he used funds from her ATM account to buy, eat and go to with associates. Police in the end discovered him two days after the homicide as soon as they started searching for Acosta’s automotive following a lacking individuals report.

When police approached him as he returned to the automotive, Tanzi reportedly informed them he “knew what this was about” and wished to debate “some bad thing he had done.”

After his 2003 trial, a jury unanimously really helpful a loss of life sentence, and the presiding choose agreed.

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

After Tanzi was sentenced to loss of life, the girl’s sister, Julie Andrew, informed 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.”

Just a few months earlier than Acosta’s homicide, Tanzi killed Caroline Holder in Brockton, Massachusetts.