Florida Murderer’s Attorneys Say He Is Too Obese To Execute

MIAMI, Florida – Michael Tanzi, a 48-year-old inmate on Florida’s Death Row, is scheduled to be executed on April 8, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. EDT at Florida State Prison in Raiford.

As the execution approaches, Tanzi’s attorneys are arguing before the Florida Supreme Court that his “morbid obesity” and sciatica—a nerve condition affecting his back—could complicate the state’s lethal injection protocol. They contend that the three-drug cocktail, which begins with the sedative etomidate, may not adequately sedate Tanzi due to his body mass, potentially leaving him conscious and in pain during the procedure. This, they argue, would violate the Eighth Amendment. The state has countered that Tanzi has long been aware of his medical conditions and the injection protocol, in place since 2017, and that his claims are untimely.

Tanzi was convicted in 2003 for the brutal kidnapping and murder of Janet Acosta, a Miami Herald employee, in April 2000.

On April 11, 2003, he was sentenced to death—a decision upheld through multiple appeals, including challenges following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2016 Hurst v. Florida ruling on sentencing procedures. Governor Ron DeSantis signed Tanzi’s death warrant on March 10, 2025, marking it as the third execution scheduled in Florida this year, following those of James Ford on February 14 and Edward James on March 20.

In a separate filing, Tanzi’s legal team has sought an “all writs” order from the Florida Supreme Court, requesting that the Department of Corrections provide a wheelchair to transport him from his cell to a room for legal visits due to his limited mobility. Briefing in the case is ongoing, with the court yet to rule on these motions.