Michael Tanzi, a Florida man who had been a death row inmate, is finally set to be executed this month. However, he has asked for leniency, claiming that he is “too obese” to be executed through lethal injection. He was convicted of kidnapping and killing a woman 25 years ago. On Monday, he filed for leniency. However, his appeal has been rejected by the court.
The legal team of Tanzi claimed that the 48-year-old is “morbidly obese.” They claimed that he “suffers from severe chronic sciatica,” as well as other conditions like “hyperlipidemia, uncontrolled hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.”
Michael’s attorneys believe that the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment will be violated if he is put to death by lethal injection, which prevents cruel and unusual punishment. His filing emphasizes, “The existing protocols for lethal injection do not contemplate the execution of someone with obesity and uncontrolled medical conditions, like Mr. Tanzi’s, that are likely to complicate the lethal injection process.”
Tanzi’s legal team requested that the court halt his upcoming execution, which is scheduled for April 8. They have urged that his case should be brought back to the circuit for “an evidentiary hearing.”
However, the Florida James Uthmeier’s response was nothing like they had expected. On Wednesday, the attorney general’s office denied his appeal for leniency. They stated that Michael “has failed to show that the Governor’s warrant powers violate the Eighth Amendment.” They pointed out that Florida’s lethal injection method has been in place since 2017, so Tanzi could have filed his “meritless” concerns about the execution method earlier rather than when the date is approaching.
Michael Tanzi filed this brief in the Florida Supreme Court on Monday, raising four claims related to the expedited warrant period in his case. https://t.co/Vi2xmayTbx @FLDeathPenalty @FADPorg #deathpenalty https://t.co/ASAIBDuoaC pic.twitter.com/zQqcMOuyPi
— Robert Dunham (@RDunhamDP) March 26, 2025
Uthmeier’s office said, “Tanzi has offered no legitimate reason for this Court to depart from its longstanding precedent.” On Friday, following the response, his lawyers once again requested the court to reverse the rejection.
Born on April 27, 1977, Michael Anthony Tanzi was convicted of kidnapping and murdering Janet Acosta back in April 2000. According to NBC News, he approached Acosta when she was sitting inside her car with the windows rolled down. He initially asked her for the time and a cigarette before attacking her.
Tanzi then carjacked, taking Janet, who was the production supervisor with the Miami Herald, as a hostage. He then drove off to the Florida Keys while threatening her with a razor blade. There, he reportedly withdrew money for himself using Acosta’s card. Later, he sexually assaulted her before proceeding to kill her by strangling them. As per the court documents, Michael then dumped her body in mangroves.
Too fat to die? Defense lawyer argues client is so morbidly obese that lethal injection may not safely kill the Florida death row inmate
Michael Tanzi — who kidnapped and murdered a woman 25 years ago — might be paralyzed but have ‘sensation of being burned from the inside’
— brane mijatovic (@brane_mija64426) March 31, 2025
Since his conviction, he has lost all his appeals against the death penalty, and his prosecution will proceed as scheduled on April 8, 2025. He will be put to death by lethal injection as per the latest update after the rejection for his relief.
