Death Row Dilemma: Inmate Says He’s Too Fat to Fry

​Michael Tanzi, a 48-year-old death row inmate in Florida, is scheduled for execution on April 8, 2025, for the 2000 kidnapping and murder of Janet Acosta. His legal team has filed an appeal to delay the execution, arguing that Tanzi's morbid obesity and associated health issues—such as severe chronic sciatica, hyperlipidemia, uncontrolled hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease—could complicate the lethal injection process and result in undue suffering, potentially violating the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. ​ The Florida Attorney General's Office has opposed the appeal, stating that Tanzi's claims are unsubstantiated and that he had ample opportunity to raise these concerns earlier. The state maintains that the existing lethal injection protocol has been effectively used in previous executions and should proceed as planned. ​ As of now, the Florida Supreme Court has not issued a ruling on the appeal. If the execution proceeds, Tanzi will be the third inmate executed in Florida this year.

NEWS