Florida executes third convicted murderer in 2025

Michael Tanzi was executed in Florida on April 7, 2025, for the 2000 kidnapping, rape, and murder of Miami Herald employee Janet Acosta, marking the state's third execution of the year. Despite arguments from his lawyers regarding his 'pathological obesity' potentially causing severe pain during execution, the Florida Supreme Court denied their appeal. Acosta's family expressed relief after the execution, stating it brought them a sense of justice. This execution is part of a broader trend in the U.S., where 10 executions have been carried out in 2025 thus far, with Florida leading in new death sentences in 2024. Nationally, the use of the death penalty has seen a decline, with fewer than 30 executions annually since 2015. Meanwhile, Amnesty International reported a significant global increase in executions, particularly in Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, raising concern over the application of the death penalty worldwide.