The Monroe County State Attorney’s Office on April 8 confirmed the execution of Michael Anthony Tanzi, who was convicted in 2003 for the 2000 carjacking, kidnapping, robbery with a weapon, and first-degree murder of Janet Acosta, a Miami Herald employee. Tanzi was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison on April 8 at 6 p.m., following more than two decades of court proceedings and a comprehensive clemency review.
Tanzi’s final appeals, including claims related to health issues such as morbid obesity and sciatica, were denied by the Florida Supreme Court. He is the third person executed in Florida this year under a death warrant signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
On April 25, 2000, Janet Acosta left her job at the Miami Herald for her lunch break and never returned. Tanzi approached her in the parking area near the Japanese Gardens on Watson Island and forced his way into her vehicle, beginning a harrowing and fatal journey that led through several Florida counties and ended on Cudjoe Key in Monroe County.
Over the course of 24 hours, Tanzi withdrew cash using Acosta’s ATM card at multiple banks in the Florida Keys, bound and gagged her with rope and duct tape, and eventually strangled her in a remote area off Blimp Road on Cudjoe Key. He was caught shortly after in Key West by the Key West Police Department and the City of Miami Police Department and was found in possession of Acosta’s van keys, ATM card and cash withdrawal receipts. He confessed to the crime and directed investigators to her body.
In addition to the murder of Janet Acosta, Tanzi confessed to the 1999 killing of a woman in a laundromat in Massachusetts. He described bludgeoning the victim with a metal rod and stabbing her with scissors before fleeing the state with stolen cash. That homicide was later reopened by Massachusetts authorities.
Tanzi had a documented criminal history including prior felony convictions. His conduct in this case — carjacking, kidnapping, and armed robbery — represented a pattern of escalating violent behavior that culminated in the loss of an innocent life.
“Today marks the end of a long and painful chapter for the family of Janet Acosta and for our community,” said State Attorney Dennis Ward. “Justice has been served, though we recognize that no legal action can ever truly bring peace to those who have lost a loved one to such violence. Our thoughts remain with Janet’s family and friends, and we continue to honor her memory as we work every day to ensure public safety and uphold the rule of law. This was a senseless, calculated act that took the life of a hardworking woman who was simply taking her lunch break. Her story reminds us all why we must remain vigilant in pursuing justice, no matter how long the road may be.”
