Florida
Execution nears for man convicted in Miami Herald employee’s murder in Florida Keys
MIAMI – Nearly 25 years after Janet Acosta, a beloved Miami Herald employee, was kidnapped and killed, her convicted murderer, Michael Tanzi, is scheduled to be executed in less than a week.
Acosta, 49, was on a lunch break in April 2000, reading in her van in Miami, when authorities said Tanzi, 48, forced his way inside.
Investigators say he punched her, pushed her aside, and drove off, taking her south into the Florida Keys.
Along the way, they said he tied her up, withdrew money using her bank card, and ultimately strangled her.
Frank Zamora, a retired Key West detective and now an investigator with the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office, was one of the officers who tracked Tanzi down.
Detectives said they initially began their search in downtown Miami, but it was in Key West where they finally caught up with Tanzi.
“Detectives started looking downtown,” Zamora recalled when speaking to Local 10’s Janine Stanwood on Wednesday. “Tanzi shows up — we approach him.”
Acosta’s van was later spotted on Duval Street in Key West, abandoned in a bustling area filled with tourists and locals.
When officers confronted Tanzi, he quickly confessed. He then led investigators to Cudjoe Key, where they said he had taken Acosta’s life.
“He went up to her, punched her in the face, pushed her over — got in the car and took off,” Zamora said.
Investigators retraced the events leading to Acosta’s death, visiting the site where her body was dumped.
“Here’s the area where he ended up dumping her body,” Zamora said while looking at the location once more. “Somewhere right in here. It’s been a long time.”
Tanzi was convicted and sentenced to death for the crime.
Now, with his execution scheduled on Tuesday, Zamora believes justice is being served.
“He’s going to pay for what he did — killed this woman, tortured her — and now he’s going to pay the price.”
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
The NEXT Weather Team is tracking another hot and humid day across South Florida on this Sunday Funday. The high humidity and extensive sunshine will make it feel like it is in the mid- to upper-90s across the metroplex and the lower Keys.
As South Floridians head to the beach and out on the water for this Memorial Day weekend, we have several alerts. On the beach, the rip current risk is high, which means beachgoers should stay on the sand and out of the water. On the water, we have small craft cautions in both the Atlantic and Keys waters.
The heat and humidity stretches through Memorial Day on Monday and into Tuesday. The rainy and stormy season returns to South Florida on Wednesday. We will see increased storm chances starting then and running through next weekend.
Feeling lucky? Florida Lotto jackpot was up to $27.50 million for Saturday, May 23, 2026, just before the Memorial Day holiday.
Will a $2 Florida Lotto ticket make someone a millionaire ahead of a federal holiday? As they say in the lottery business, “it could happen to you.”
After one lucky ticket from a BJ’s Wholesale Club Liquors in Clermont, Florida, matched all six numbers in the Wednesday, Feb. 4, Florida Lotto drawing for $21.5 million, the jackpot reset.
The 30th rollover occurred after no one matched all six numbers in the Wednesday, May 20, Florida Lotto drawing. That led to the grand prize increasing by more than $1 million for a whopping $27.50 million for Saturday, May 23.
Check back after 11:15 p.m. ET for Saturday’s winning numbers. We’ll see if there’s a Florida Lotto winner or another rollover just before the federal holiday, Memorial Day, which is Monday, May 25.
In case you’re wondering, Wednesday’s winning Florida Lotto numbers were 6-15-18-28-33-38. Double Play numbers were 4-5-13-15-24-39.
Below is what to know about lottery odds, how long to claim the cash option if you bought a ticket in Florida, and what happens to unclaimed prize money, according to the Florida Lottery.
Winning Florida Lotto numbers for Saturday, May 23, 2026?
Florida Lotto drawings are at 11:15 p.m. ET every Wednesday and Saturday, including holidays. Check back for Saturday, May 23, Florida Lotto numbers and the Double Play. We’ll see if there’s a winner or another rollover just before the 2026 Memorial Day holiday.
How do you play the Florida Lotto?
According to Florida Lottery game rules, Florida Lotto players pick 6 numbers between 1 and 53 or select a Quick Pick ticket. There are prizes for matching three to six numbers. Players who match two of 6 winning Florida Lotto numbers get a free ticket.
The Florida Lottery site states game add-ons include Double Play for $1, a bonus drawing where players could win up to $250,000 using the same numbers (Double Play drawings are held immediately after Florida Lotto drawings). Another Florida Lotto game add-on is EZmatch for $1 per play. If players match any EZmatch number to their Florida Lotto numbers, they instantly win that prize.
Tickets start at $2. Good luck!
When was the last Florida Lotto won? How long has the jackpot rolled over?
The Florida Lotto jackpot was last won on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. BJ’s Wholesale Club Liquors on South Highway 27 in Clermont, Florida, sold the winning Quick Pick ticket worth $21.5 million.
The new lottery jackpot reset at $1 million for the drawing on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. Below is a recap of lottery drawings for the latest streak.
- Saturday, May 23: $27.50 million
- Wednesday, May 20: $26.25 million
- Saturday, May 16: $24.5 million
- Wednesday, May 13: $23.5 million
- Saturday, May 9: $22.25 million
- Wednesday, May 6: $21.25 million
- Saturday, May 2: $20.25 million
- Wednesday, April 29: $19 million
- Saturday, April 25: $18 million
- Wednesday, April 22: $17 million
- Saturday, April 18: $16 million
- Wednesday, April 15, Tax Day: $15.25 million
- Saturday, April 11: $14.50 million
- Wednesday, April 8: $13.75 million
- Saturday, April 4: $12.75 million
- Wednesday, April 1, or April Fool’s Day: $12 million
- Saturday, March 28: $11.25 million
- Wednesday, March 25: $10.25 million
- Saturday, March 21: $9.25 million
- Wednesday, March 18: $8.25 million
- Saturday, March 14, Pi Day: $7.50 million
- Wednesday, March 11: $7 million
- Saturday, March 7: $6.75 million
- Wednesday, March 4: $6 million
- Saturday, Feb. 28: $5 million
- Wednesday, Feb. 25: $4 million
- Saturday, Feb. 21: $3.25 million
- Wednesday, Feb. 18: $2.50 million
- Saturday, Feb. 14, or Valentine’s Day: $1.75 million
- Wednesday, Feb. 11: $1.25 million
- Saturday, Feb. 7: $1 million
When is the next Florida Lotto drawing? What are the odds, chances of winning Florida Lotto lottery?
Florida Lotto drawings are held at 11:15 p.m. ET on Wednesdays and Saturdays, including holidays. According to floridalottery.com, players have a 1 in 22,957,480 chance to match all six numbers whether the jackpot is $1 million or $36 million. Prizes range from $2 to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.
The next Florida Lotto drawing will be on Wednesday, May 27.
How long do you have to cash in a Florida Lottery ticket?
Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.
Does the Florida Lottery reveal lottery winners? Can you stay anonymous if you win lottery in Florida?
According to Florida Lottery’s website, winners cannot remain anonymous: “Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner’s name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information.”
However, the site states, the “names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner.”
Does Walmart sell lottery tickets? Where to buy lottery tickets in Florida
In Florida, most gas stations and some grocery stores sell lottery tickets. It’s harder to find a gas station that doesn’t sell Powerball, Mega Millions, Florida Lottery and scratch-off tickets than it is to find one that does.
Publix also sells lottery tickets and is known for selling many winning tickets. A lesser-known location is Walmart. Whether the Walmart location closest to you sells lottery tickets depends on your state and the store. Many Walmart locations in Florida have self-service lottery ticket vending machines or sell lottery tickets at the customer service desk.
You can use the “Where to Play” search tool on the Florida Lottery website to find a grocery store or gas station near you that sells lottery tickets.
(This story will be updated to include new information.)
Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, lotteries, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
SpaceX plans to kick off Memorial Day with a Falcon 9 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, delivering more Starlink internet satellites to orbit.
The liftoff is set for no earlier than 7:41 a.m. Monday, May 25 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. If needed, SpaceX has until 11:41 a.m. to make the launch window.
The mission, known as Starlink 10-47, will launch 29 of the company’s Starlink satellites to orbit. The Falcon 9 rocket will travel on a northeast trajectory after liftoff.
Falcon 9 usually flies about twice a week, but launches have slowed this year as SpaceX focuses more on getting Starship operations ready for Cape Canaveral. With May almost to an end, this flight will mark Florida 35th launch of the year. That is well behind last year’s record-setting pace of 109 launches.
Falcon 9 rockets are currently only launched from one launch pad in Florida, and as of last month, SpaceX pulled its Just Read the Instructions drone ship to support Starship operations.
No Brevard sonic booms are expected Monday, as the rocket’s first stage booster will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
The FLORIDA TODAY Space Team will provide live updates 90 minutes prior to liftoff at FloridaToday.com/Space.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
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