‘Morbidly obese’ murderer on death row had sobering final words before being executed as his last meal is revealed
Back in 2000, a death-row inmate brutally kidnapped, assaulted and killed a Miami Herald employee on her lunch break and, just this week, he was administered the lethal injection making his death the United States' eleventh execution in 2025.
Michael Anthony Tanzi, 48, was pronounced dead at 6.12 pm local time on Tuesday (8 April) after receiving a three-drug protocol at Florida State Prison.
While in the execution chamber, Tanzi made a sobering final statement in front of several witnesses, including the sister of his 49-year-old victim, Janet Acosta, a Miami Herald production worker who he killed in April 2000.
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In his final moments, the murderer issued an apology to Acosta's family members as well as those of Caroline Holder, a 37-year-old woman he confessed to killing in Massachusetts the previous year in 1999.
"I want to apologise to the family of Janet Acosta and Caroline Holder for taking their lives," he said through a speaker.
"Heavenly Father, please do not blame those who do not know what they're doing."
Upon receiving the injection, Tanzi - who was reportedly 6ft3 and weighed 383 pounds - breathed deeply with his chest heaving for 'about three minutes' before he eventually stopped moving and exhaled for a final time.
The 'morbidly obese' murderer's last meal consisted of a fried pork chop, bacon, a baked potato, corn, ice cream, a candy bar and soda, corrections officials told Newsweek.
"Inmate Tanzi woke up this morning at 4:45 am, he was provided his last meal and he has remained compliant," Florida Department of Corrections spokesperson Ted Veerman said just a matter of hours before the execution.
Tanzi attacked and robbed Acosta while she was eating lunch in her van before driving the vehicle to the Florida Keys.
It was there that he bound and gagged her before strangling her to death.
"He drove to an isolated area in Cudjoe Key, told her he was going to kill her, and began to strangle her," the state Commission on Capital Cases summary said.
"He stopped to place duct tape over her mouth, nose and eyes in an attempt to quiet her and then strangled her until she expired."
His legal team had previously tried to argue that he shouldn't be executed as he was 'morbidly obese' and suffered from sciatica meaning his death could cause unconstitutional levels of pain. However, the Supreme Court rejected this based on the fact his health problems had been known since 2009 and therefore the request wasn't timely.
Rhiannon Ingle