Michael Tanzi was executed in Florida on Tuesday, 25 years after the murder of Janet Acosta, a beloved Miami Herald employee. Tanzi was described as a “fledgling serial killer” and was on death row for over two decades for the brutal attack on Acosta in 2000, which he confessed to. Tanzi was the third inmate to be executed by Florida in 2025. His lawyers argued against the death penalty due to his developmental issues and health problems from obesity, but prosecutors argued that he did not deserve mercy.
The execution brought closure to the family of Janet Acosta, who was described as a kind and caring person, close to her sisters and adored by her niece. Tanzi’s upbringing included abuse and instability, with allegations of sexual molestation by a childhood friend and abuse by his father. His mother tried to get him help, but Tanzi was resistant.
Tanzi’s execution is one of many scheduled in the U.S. for 2025, with the next one set to take place in South Carolina by firing squad. Two more executions are scheduled for April in Texas and Alabama. The number of executions in the U.S. is likely to increase as more death warrants are approved by states. Last year, 25 inmates were executed in the U.S.
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