Sicko ‘serial killer’ utters chilling final phrases earlier than execution for murdering lady

Michael Tanzi is the third person to be executed in Florida this year after he was convicted of the April 2000 abduction and murder of journalist Janet Acosta while she read in her van

Sicko convicted of murdering and kidnapping a journalist during her lunch break was executed on Tuesday April 8.

Michael Tanzi, 48, was convicted of the 2000 murder of Janet Acosta, 49, in 2003.

In his final statement, with his voice barely audible, Tanzi said: “I want to apologise to the family” before reciting a verse from the Bible as the drugs started to take effect.

The murderer was declared dead at 6:12 p.m. after receiving the lethal injection at Florida State Prison. A prison officer shook him and loudly called his name twice to check if he was still conscious.

Tanzi’s last meal was fried pork chop, a baked potato, bacon, corn, ice cream, a chocolate bar and fizzy drink.

He became the third person to be executed in Florida this year. Another execution by lethal injection is scheduled for May 1, following death warrants signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Earlier this year, Tanzi’s legal team scrambled to stop him from being the 11th person executed in the US this year.

They lodged an appeal claiming Tanzi’s obesity would render his execution inhumane and lead to “needless suffering”. They contend that the current death penalty protocols, particularly regarding the lethal injection method, are not designed for individuals with obesity-related health issues.

Acosta was sitting in her parked van in April 2000 reading a book when she was approached by Tanzi asking for a smoke. She was then horrifically attacked and threatened with a razor blade by him, as per court records. The woman was bound and gagged by Tanzi who then drove her van towards the Florida Keys.

At one point, Tanzi sexually assaulted Acosta and used her bank card to withdraw cash from ATMs.

Tanzi eventually took Acosta to a secluded area of Cudjoe Key, where he strangled her and left her body, officials reported. He then headed to Key West to meet friends.

As Tanzi was travelling through the Keys, Acosta’s pals reported her missing. Police identified the woman’s van and apprehended Tanzi.

Following the execution, Acosta’s family expressed their relief that their long ordeal had finally come to an end.

Julie Andrew, Acosta’s sister who witnessed the execution, said: “It’s done. Basically, justice for Janet happened. My heart felt lighter and I can breathe again.”

Janet Vanderwier, Acosta’s niece, pointed out that it took almost 25 years to find closure. She said: “This is the culmination of more than two decades of work to get justice for Janet,” she stated.

When he was caught, Tanzi confessed to officers: “If I had let her go, I was gonna get caught quicker. I didn’t want to get caught. I was having too much fun … I told her, I says, ‘I can’t let you go. If I let you go, then I’m gonna be in a lot of trouble.'”

Tanzi was found guilty of first-degree murder, carjacking, kidnapping and armed robbery, leading to a unanimous 12-0 jury recommendation for the death penalty.

A few months before Acosta’s murder, Tanzi killed Caroline Holder in Brockton, Massachusetts.

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