48-year-old man executed in the U.S. for a murder committed 25 years ago

In the U.S. state of Florida, the death sentence was carried out against a man convicted of a crime committed 25 years ago. This was reported by UPI news agency.

The execution took place on April 9. The criminal — Michael Tanzi — was executed at a Florida state prison located in the city of Raiford. The method of execution was not officially specified. However, in Florida, executions are typically carried out by lethal injection or electric chair.

The 2000 murder: attack on a woman reading a book

The crime was committed in 2000. According to court documents, on April 25, Michael Tanzi attacked a woman named Acosta, who was reading a book in her parked van in a Miami park. He first asked her for a cigarette, then hit her in the face and kidnapped her along with her vehicle.

Tanzi threatened her with a blade, drove her toward the Florida Keys, tied her with rope, stuffed a towel into her mouth, raped her, and withdrew money using her bank card.

He then strangled Acosta and dumped her body in a wooded area.

Murder solved in two days

After the woman went missing, her friends and colleagues contacted the police. Two days later, Tanzi was arrested while driving her van. Receipts confirming withdrawals from Acosta's bank account were found on him.

Tanzi fully confessed to the crime — he told police where he had dumped the body and where he had thrown away the used tape and rope.

Court sentence and execution

On April 11, 2003, Tanzi was sentenced to death for first-degree murder, vehicle theft, kidnapping, and armed robbery. He used all possible appeals, but the sentence remained in force.

Pain in childhood — tragedy in adulthood

According to a local human rights group, Tanzi was subjected to sexual and physical abuse in childhood, which severely affected his mental health. In his late teens, he attempted suicide, and three years later, he committed the murder.

Third execution in Florida this year

Tanzi became the third person executed in Florida in 2025. In total, 11 executions have been carried out in the U.S. this year.

The execution of a man for a murder committed 25 years ago highlights the strictness of U.S. death penalty laws. Tanzi’s personal tragedy — from an abusive childhood to a horrific crime — shows the complex link between human psychology and justice. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!