Michael Tanzi executed for killing Janet Acosta in Florida: Obese death row inmate’s final meal revealed

An obese American death row inmate’s final meal has been revealed after he was executed, despite his lawyers trying to argue he was too overweight for lethal injection.

Weighing in at 172kg, Michael Tanzi, labelled a “fledgling serial killer” or “serial killer in the making” was put to death at Florida State Prison around 6pm on Tuesday.

Tanzi was handed the death sentence for brutally kidnapping and murdering Miami Herald employee Janet Acosta 24 years ago.

Tanzi approached the 49-year-old woman when she was on her lunch break in her car on April 25, 2000. He asked her for a cigarette before he repeatedly punched her until he could take control of the car. He drove around for an hour before sexually assaulting her and stealing her money and belongings. He then drove to an isolated wooded area in Cudjoe Keys, Florida, where he strangled her, and left her body on an island, according to records obtained by NBC News.

At the time, The Miami Herald reported that Tanzi said he “didn’t want to get caught” because he “was having too much fun”.

Acosta was eventually reported missing by friends and police found Tanzi when they discovered he was driving her car.

Tanzi was indicted with first-degree murder and charged with a number of offences, including carjacking with a weapon, kidnapping, armed robbery and sexual battery with a deadly weapon.

He was sentenced to death three years later, with a later appeal knocked back.

Miami police detective Frank Casanovas told the Herald in 2003: “What we have here is a fledgling serial killer”. Tanzi later also admitted to killing another woman, Caroline Holder, in Brockton, Massachusetts, a few months before he killed Acosta.

More than two decades later, he awaited the lethal injection on Tuesday evening.

For his final meal, he chose to indulge in pork chops and bacon, topped off with an ice cream and a candy bar, according to Daily Mail.

His last words were: “I want to apologise to the family,” before reciting a Bible verse.

Just last week Tanzi’s lawyers asked the US Supreme Court to spare him from lethal injection, arguing the method would be incredibly painful for him because of his heavy weight, stating the injection may leave him “paralleled but aware” with a “sensation of being burned from the inside”. However, the request was denied just hours before his execution.

The lethal injection was administered to Tanzi on April 8 and he was pronounced dead at 6.12pm. He is the third person to be executed in Florida this year.

Julie Andrew, Acosta’s sister, reportedly said after witnessing Tanzi’s execution: “It’s done. Basically, justice for Janet happened. My heart felt lighter, and I can breathe again.”