Florida is set to execute Michael Tanzi by lethal injection tonight. Critics argue the state’s execution protocol is cruel and unjust.
At 6 p.m. tonight, the state of Florida is poised to execute Michael Tanzi by lethal injection, marking what could become the 100th execution in Florida since the death penalty was reinstated.
But this execution is not proceeding quietly. Amid growing concern over the state’s execution protocols, the moral implications of capital punishment, and serious questions about Tanzi’s background and health, critics argue that this act represents not justice—but cruelty hiding behind the façade of tough on crime rhetoric.
Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP), a national organization of reform-minded prosecutors, has condemned the execution in a statement released Monday, calling it a “moral failure” and “a lasting stain on the state of Florida.”
Acting Co-Executive Director Amy Fettig pointed to the use of the controversial sedative etomidate—employed by no other state in the country—as a major concern. “State-sanctioned killing in Florida is not justice—it is cruelty cloaked in the language of justice,” she said.
Tanzi, 48, was convicted in the 2000 rape and murder of Janet Acosta, a Miami Herald employee. His case presents one of the most tragic intersections of brutal crime and a deeply troubled personal history. Court records and appeals filings describe a life of childhood trauma, including sexual abuse and severe physical violence from his father. Yet, these mitigating factors have been repeatedly dismissed by the courts.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Tanzi’s death warrant in March, and the Florida Supreme Court recently rejected last-minute appeals from his legal team, which argued that Tanzi’s medical condition—morbid obesity and chronic sciatica—would render the execution process especially painful, amounting to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment.
“We don’t put our animals down that way.” – Maria Deliberato, Executive Director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Florida’s lethal injection process involves a three-drug protocol: etomidate, a short-acting sedative; rocuronium bromide, a paralytic; and potassium acetate, which stops the heart. Florida is the only state in the nation using etomidate, a drug known to cause involuntary movements and pain during injection.
Critics, including legal and medical experts, argue that the protocol conceals visible signs of suffering with the use of paralytics, which immobilize the condemned but do not alleviate their pain.
Maria Deliberato, Executive Director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, has highlighted that Florida’s own laws prohibit the use of paralytic agents when euthanizing animals due to their potential for suffering.
“We don’t put our animals down that way,” she said, underscoring the inconsistency in the state’s approach to human executions.
Autopsy reports from previous Florida executions using etomidate revealed the presence of pulmonary edema—a condition where fluid floods the lungs, potentially causing a sensation akin to drowning. Experts say if a person is awake when this happens, it would be an agonizing and terrifying experience.
Michael Tanzi’s crimes were horrific.
On April 25, 2000, he kidnapped Janet Acosta from her van while she was on a lunch break, sexually assaulted her at knifepoint, and ultimately strangled her before burying her body in a remote area. His confession detailed not only the gruesome act but a chilling absence of remorse, stating that he killed her to avoid getting caught because he was “having too much fun.”
Tanzi was arrested two days later after being spotted in Acosta’s stolen van. He later confessed to another murder—Caroline Holder, a laundromat employee in Brockton, Massachusetts—committed just months earlier. Prosecutors and police described him as a “fledgling serial killer.”
“Florida is the only state in the nation using etomidate, a drug known to cause involuntary movements and pain during injection.” – Maria Deliberato, Executive Director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
But Tanzi’s defense team, supported by statements from clergy like Catholic Bishop Michael Sheedy, have urged clemency on the grounds of his upbringing. They argue that Tanzi’s life was shaped by repeated abuse and neglect, leaving him with significant developmental impairments that were never properly addressed.
In recent weeks, Tanzi’s lawyers focused their appeals on his physical condition, arguing that his weight and sciatica would make lethal injection torturous. The pain caused by lying flat and restrained for extended periods, they contended, would compound the suffering already associated with Florida’s flawed execution protocol.
Moreover, they warned that his size could interfere with the sedative, potentially causing him to be conscious and aware during the excruciating final minutes.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office dismissed these concerns as “groundless,” asserting that the drug dosage was more than sufficient. The Florida Supreme Court sided with the state, clearing the way for Tanzi’s execution. His final hope lies with the U.S. Supreme Court or a last-minute commutation from Governor DeSantis.
Florida remains one of the most active death penalty states in the nation, even as the country continues to retreat from capital punishment. Nationwide, executions have declined dramatically over the past two decades, and public support for the death penalty has waned in the face of mounting evidence of wrongful convictions, racial disparities, and ethical concerns.
“State-sanctioned killing in Florida is not justice—it is cruelty cloaked in the language of justice.” – Acting Co-Executive Director Amy Fettig, Fair and Just Prosecution
Still, under DeSantis, Florida has doubled down. The state has carried out more executions in the past year than any other except Texas, including executions that have drawn intense scrutiny. In one 2023 execution, the condemned was reportedly wrapped in a sheet and hidden from public view to mask any signs of pain or movement.
Richard Dieter of the Death Penalty Information Center notes that the Supreme Court has held that execution methods must not be “cruel and unusual,” but there’s little clarity on what that means in practice. “Even when it appears the lethal injection process goes smoothly,” Dieter said, “autopsies show there may be issues.”
As the state of Florida prepares to execute Michael Tanzi, the question is not just about one man’s guilt or innocence. It is about who we are as a society and how we define justice. No one denies the horror of Tanzi’s crimes, or the deep loss suffered by the families of his victims. But justice that tolerates or even conceals cruelty does not serve victims—it dishonors them.
In a letter to Governor DeSantis, Bishop Michael Sheedy wrote: “A sentence of life in prison without parole is a severe and sufficient alternative punishment. Killing Tanzi will do nothing to bring peace, healing, or justice.” The words reflect a growing sentiment shared by religious leaders, legal experts, and even many victims’ families across the country.
