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last mo.

Florida Executes Michael Tanzi for 2000 Murder of Miami Herald Employee

Tanzi, 48, was pronounced dead by lethal injection on April 8, 2025, after courts rejected appeals citing his obesity and health risks.

Michael Anthony Tanzi
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FILE - Clouds hover over the entrance of the Florida State Prison in Starke, Fla., Aug. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Curt Anderson, file)
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Overview

  • Michael Tanzi was executed at Florida State Prison for the abduction, sexual assault, and murder of Janet Acosta in April 2000.
  • Tanzi confessed to Acosta's murder and an earlier killing of Caroline Holder in Massachusetts, though he was never charged for the latter crime.
  • The execution proceeded after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a last-minute appeal and Florida courts dismissed claims of potential cruelty due to Tanzi's morbid obesity.
  • Tanzi's death marked Florida's third execution of 2025 and the 11th in the United States this year, reflecting ongoing use of the death penalty under Gov. Ron DeSantis.
  • Acosta's family expressed relief at the execution, describing it as long-awaited justice for the beloved Miami Herald employee.