{"id":2418214,"date":"2025-03-31T22:26:01","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T02:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/death-row-inmate-convicted-of-heinous-crimes-argues-hes-too-obese-to-be-executed\/"},"modified":"2025-03-31T22:27:38","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T02:27:38","slug":"death-row-inmate-convicted-of-heinous-crimes-argues-hes-too-obese-to-be-executed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/death-row-inmate-convicted-of-heinous-crimes-argues-hes-too-obese-to-be-executed\/","title":{"rendered":"Death-Row Inmate Convicted of Heinous Crimes Argues He&#8217;s Too Obese to be Executed"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdeath-row-inmate-convicted-of-heinous-crimes-argues-hes-too-obese-to-be-executed%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2418214&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>michael Tanzi, a Florida death row inmate scheduled for execution on April 8, is attempting to avoid his sentence by arguing that his obesity and various health issues would complicate the lethal injection process. His <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/convicted-theranos-fraudster-elizabeth-holmes-chance-for-a-new-trial-is-slim\/\" title=\"... Theranos Fraudster Elizabeth Holmes\u2019 Chance for a New Trial Is Slim\">defense team claims<\/a> that due to his medical conditions, the execution might cause unnecessary suffering, as the existing lethal injection protocols do not adequately address the needs of someone with his health profile. They argue that the governance of sedative drugs may not be effective for Tanzi, possibly leaving him aware but paralyzed during the execution. <\/p>\n<p>Tanzi is described as morbidly obese and suffering from severe chronic sciatica, uncontrolled hypertension, and other health conditions. The state counters that Tanzi has not provided substantial evidence to support his claims about the execution process, asserting that inmates are not entitled to a pain-free execution and stating that the protocols have been used successfully in the past. The legal battle continues as Tanzi\u2019s pleas have been rejected by a judge, prompting an appeal to the Florida Supreme Court. Tanzi was convicted of murdering Janet Acosta in 2000.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A Florida inmate is trying to use his obesity as a way to shirk his scheduled execution in Florida, claiming the death penalty might hurt because of his weight.<\/p>\n<p>Attorneys for convicted murderer Michael Tanzi, 48, say that Tanzi&rsquo;s many health conditions mean that death by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/louisiana-uses-new-execution-method-convicted-rapist-murderer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lethal injection<\/a> might go wrong, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/michael-tanzi-execution-lethal-injection-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CBS News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Tanzi is scheduled to be executed April 8.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The existing protocols for lethal injection do not contemplate the execution of someone with obesity and uncontrolled medical conditions, like Mr. Tanzi&rsquo;s, that are likely to complicate the lethal injection process,&rdquo; Tanzi&rsquo;s attorneys argued in a court document.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Executing Mr. Tanzi using the existing protocols is likely to cause serious illness and needless suffering,&rdquo; the lawyers wrote, saying that the sedation drug to be administered might not work properly, leaving Tanzi &ldquo;paralyzed but aware&rdquo; during the process,<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>The lawyers said that as a result of difficulty in connecting the IV lines from Tanzi to the drugs that would kill him, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-sept-11-families-group-leader-cheers-restoration-death-penalty-option-9-11-prosecutions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">could face pain<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Tanzi &ldquo;is morbidly obese and suffers from severe chronic sciatica&rdquo; and has &ldquo;hyperlipidemia, uncontrolled hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease,&rdquo; according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/florida-death-row-inmate-says-morbid-obesity-complicate-lethal-injecti-rcna198615\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Court documents did not say how much Tanzi weighs.<\/p>\n<p>The state is opposing Tanzi&rsquo;s bid to escape his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-state-scraps-lethal-drug-combo-upcoming-execution-fears-cause-excruciating-suffering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">punishment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Tanzi fails to offer any support for his groundless assertion that the massive dose of etomidate, that has been repeatedly and successfully used in Florida&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tennessee-death-row-inmate-convicted-in-90s-dies-before-execution-date-set\/\" title=\"Tennessee ... Row Inmate ... In 90s Dies Before ... Date Set\">lethal injection protocol<\/a>, will not work for him,&rdquo; the state said.<\/p>\n<p>Tanzi &ldquo;has failed to show that the Governor&rsquo;s warrant powers violate the Eighth Amendment,&rdquo; the state argued, while also noting that no objection was raised until the weeks before Tanzi&rsquo;s scheduled execution.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Tanzi has offered no legitimate reason for this Court to depart from its longstanding precedent,&rdquo; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mi-lawmakers-just-made-it-easier-to-commit-election-fraud\/\" title=\"MI Lawmakers Simplify Process for Election Fraud\">attorney general&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s office said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">&#127482;&#127480; FLORIDA DEATH ROW INMATE CLAIMS HE&rsquo;S &ldquo;TOO OBESE&rdquo; FOR EXECUTION<\/p>\n<p>Lawyers for Michael Tanzi, a Florida death row inmate convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering Janet Acosta in 2000, argue his execution should be stopped because he&rsquo;s &ldquo;morbidly obese.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Tanzi&rsquo;s legal team&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TY4v4zQbgT\">pic.twitter.com\/TY4v4zQbgT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarioNawfal\/status\/1906562095333908855?\">March 31, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/acis-api.flcourts.gov\/courts\/68f021c4-6a44-4735-9a76-5360b2e8af13\/cms\/case\/767b3880-c0b7-4244-bc1d-d9cf5f81de7f\/docketentrydocuments\/d4a77e79-2448-4d86-bf6c-baab22c864e9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">state&rsquo;s response<\/a> to the appeal said that despite Tanzi&rsquo;s claim that lying flat on the execution gurney would cause pain, inmates are not guaranteed a pain-free execution.<\/p>\n<p>The state also noted that Tanzi has provided no evidence to support his contention that his weight would alter the effect of the lethal injection drugs.<\/p>\n<p>Tanzi was convicted of kidnapping and killing Janet Acosta in April 2000.<\/p>\n<p>Tanzi sexually assaulted Acosta and used her bank card to withdraw cash before strangling her and dumping her body in the Florida Keys.<\/p>\n<p>Monroe County Circuit Judge Timothy Koenig has rejected Tanzi&rsquo;s pleas to halt his execution, &nbsp;leading to an appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wftv.com\/news\/local\/florida-justices-weigh-execution-morbidly-obese-death-row-inmate\/N4TEXFF7Y5DERFDZL6W52AYO2E\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WFTV-TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Florida inmate is attempting to avoid his upcoming execution by citing his obesity, arguing that the death penalty could be painful due to his weight. Michael Tanzi, 48, who has multiple health issues, is scheduled for execution on April 8. His lawyers contend that the current lethal injection protocols do not account for individuals with obesity and serious medical conditions like Tanzi&#8217;s, which could complicate the process and lead to unnecessary suffering. They express concerns that the sedation drug may not work effectively, potentially leaving him conscious but unable to move during the execution. The state opposes Tanzi&#8217;s claims and argues he has provided no evidence supporting his assertions about how his weight would affect the lethal injection drugs&#8217; efficacy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2418215,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Michael-Tanzi.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[41272,5786,52590,8702],"class_list":["post-2418214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-death-row","tag-inmate","tag-legal-arguments","tag-obesity"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Michael-Tanzi.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2418214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2418214"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2418214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2418218,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2418214\/revisions\/2418218"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2418215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2418214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2418214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2418214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}