March 10 (UPI) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant for a 48-year-old man convicted of kidnapping and strangling a woman to death in 2000.
The warrant, made public by the Supreme Court of Florida, states Michael Tanzi is scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. EDT April 8 at Florida State Prison.
Tanzi was sentenced to death on April 11. 2003, after being convicted of first-degree murder, carjacking with a deadly weapon, kidnapping and robbery with a gun or deadly weapon.
Court documents state that his victim, Janet Acosta, was reading a book in her van parked at the Japanese Gardens in Miami during her lunch hour on April 25, 2000, when Tanzi approached her.
After asking for a cigarette and the time, he punched her in the face to gain entry to the van, which he then drove away while threatening his victim with a razor blade.
The court documents state he was seeking a way to return to Key West where he lived.
He bound Acosta with rope and gagged her with a towel. During the drive, he sexually assaulted her while threatening her life with the razor blade if she injured him.
He also used her ATM card to withdraw money from her bank account.
Upon arriving in the lower Florida Keys, Tanzi strangled Acosta to death and disposed of her body in a wooded area.
He was arrested two days later by police who spotted Acosta’s van, which they had been searching for after the woman’s friends and coworkers reported her missing.
Court documents state that he had receipts in his pocket showing the ATM withdrawals he had made from his victim’s account.
Tanzi told police that he “knew what this was about,” according to the court documents, which added, “He also spontaneously stated he wanted to talk about some bad things he had done.”
“Tanzi confessed that he had assaulted, abducted, robbed, sexually battered and killed Janet Acosta,” according to court documents.
“Tanzi repeated his confession with greater detail several times on audio and videotape. Tanzi also showed the police where he had disposed of Janet Acosta’s body and where he had discarded the duct tape and rope.”
Tanzi is scheduled to be the third person executed in Florida this year, following James Ford, who was killed on Feb. 14, and Edward James, who is set to have his sentence carried out on March 20.
There have been six executions in four states so far this year — four by lethal injection and one each by nitrogen hypoxia and firing squad.
Christopher Sepulvado was scheduled to be executed in Louisiana on March 17, but the octogenarian died late last month on death row.
According to Robert Dunham, director of the Death Penalty Policy Project, nine states have issued 31 death warrants for this year.
TALLAHASSEE – Florida lawmakers are once again trying to crack down on distracted driving, this time with a proposal that goes further than the state’s current law.
Senate Bill 1152, filed ahead of the upcoming legislative session, would make it illegal for drivers to hold a phone while operating a motor vehicle. Drivers could still use GPS, make phone calls, or use navigation apps, but only through hands-free technology such as Bluetooth or built-in vehicle systems.
That restriction would apply even when a vehicle is stopped at a red light or in traffic. The bill defines “handheld” use broadly, including holding a phone in one or both hands or bracing it against the body.
Supporters say Florida’s existing law, which primarily targets texting while driving, doesn’t fully address the many ways drivers use their phones behind the wheel and can be difficult for law enforcement to enforce consistently.
The bill also includes privacy protections. Law enforcement officers would not be allowed to search or confiscate a driver’s phone without a warrant.
State officials say distracted driving remains a serious and persistent problem across Florida.
By the numbers:
The most recent available data for a single year shows nearly 300 people were killed and more than 2,200 others suffered serious injuries in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2024. A crash happens in Florida about every 44 seconds, and roughly one in seven crashes involves a distracted driver, according to state data.
Advocates point to other states with hands-free laws, saying those states have seen declines in deadly crashes after similar measures were adopted.
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What’s next:
The bill will be taken up during the 2026 legislative session, which begins Tuesday, Jan. 13. It must pass committee hearings and full votes in both chambers before going to the governor.
If approved, the law would take effect Oct. 1, 2026.
The Source: This story is based on the filed text of Senate Bill 1152 and data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Former Penn State interior offensive lineman TJ Shanahan committed to the Florida Gators on Tuesday, Jan. 6, reuniting him with offensive line coach Phil Trautwein in Gainesville.
Trautwein’s connection with Shanahan loomed large in his recruitment. The only visit Shanahan took was to Gainesville on Saturday, and Trautwein recruited him out of high school before he moved from Florida to Texas. The hometown angle also plays a factor here. His family lives outside of Tampa, and his cousin, Jon Halapio, played at Florida from 2009 to 2013 before being drafted in the sixth round.
247Sports does not have a transfer portal grade for Shanahan, but On3 ranks him at No. 341 overall and No. 25 among interior offensive linemen in the portal. He has two years of eligibility remaining with hopes of becoming a full-time starter at Florida.
A consensus four-star recruit and the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the 2023 recruiting class, Shanahan chose Texas A&M after visiting several SEC programs. He appeared in three games as a true freshman before redshirting. He became a regular in the Aggies’ offensive line rotation in 2024, playing in 10 total games. He spent time at center and left guard, starting four of five games at the latter position.
He entered the transfer portal following coaching changes at Texas A&M, ultimately landing at Penn State. He played in all 13 games for the Nittany Lions, making five starts while jumping between both guard positions. Injuries kept him from playing a bigger role at the end of the regular season, but he played nearly 80 snaps at right guard in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Pro Football Focus gave him a 63.5 overall grade on offense, a 75.1 pass-blocking grade and a 59.2 run-blocking grade in 2025.
Florida’s interior offensive line returns starting left guard Knijeah Harris and backup guards Roderick Kearney and Tavaris Dice Jr. Assuming Harris stays at left guard, Shanhan is a strong possibility at right guard for Florida next season. Kearney and Dice could provide depth at both positions, or the former could transition to center in hopes of replacing All-American starter Jake Slaughter.
Florida is losing several interior linemen to graduation and the transfer portal. Along with Slaughter, Damieon George Jr. and Kamryn Waites have exhausted their eligibility. Noel Portnjagin and Marcus Mascoll are in the portal. Redshirt freshman Jason Zandamela is staying and received high praise from Slaughter.
Florida is expected to land Georgia Tech lineman Harrison Moore, which would reload the stable with plenty of room for competition at all three positions.
Shanahan is the 10th official transfer portal addition of the 2026 cycle for Florida.
On offense, Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo, Cincinnati running back Evan Pryor, Georgia Tech wide receiver Bailey Stockton, Wake Forest receiver Micah Mays Jr., and James Madison tight end Lacota Dippre have committed. On defense, Florida has earned commitments from Baylor defensive lineman DK Kalu and Baylor safety DJ Coleman. The Gators are also adding a pair of special teamers from Tulane, kicker Patrick Durkin and punter Alec Clark.
Florida is also expected to land Georgia Tech interior offensive lineman Harrison Moore, who is on an official visit (Jan. 6).
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Heartbreaking new details have emerged in the case of the missing Florida boy who was found dead next to his dog as his father faces charges for allegedly making explosives.
Johnathan Boley, 4, did not show any signs of “trauma or assault type injuries” after officials performed an autopsy on Monday morning — three days after the heartbreaking discovery, according to Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith.
A cause of death has not been released as officials await the results of further tests, WBRC reported.
Boley, known by his family as “John John,” was discovered partly in a body of water by a group of volunteers who were searching the wooded area in Jasper, Ala. — two miles from where the boy vanished.
The child, who was visiting his father for the holidays, was last seen playing in the yard with his older brother and their mixed lab pup Buck just before noon on New Year’s Eve.
Boley’s elder sibling said his brother and the Buck had walked across the property line. Jameson Kyle Boley reported his son missing an hour later.
The little tyke, who lived with his mother in Florida after his parents separated, was discovered just before 1 p.m. Friday.
Buck, the loyal pooch, was found alive and next to Boley’s body.
Volunteers were “shook up” when they found Boley after the days-long search.
“You know, obviously you come out to do a good deed and when you get our there, you may have thought that you have fully prepared yourself for what you might come across,” Smith said. “Obviously, they were shaken up.”
Officials also discovered explosive materials inside and around the elder Boley’s home. The discovery of the potentially dangerous materials forced officials to cancel a ground search in the area.
Methamphetamines were also discovered inside the home.
Officials found “evidence that they have had some type of bomb type materials and that have exploded on the property.”
Boley, 40, was arrested and charged with unlawful manufacturing of a destructive device and two counts of chemical endangerment of a child.
He was transported to Blount County jail to “keep him separated from the county and people he may know in the jail,” Smith said.
After “John John’s” body was recovered, family members were permitted to go to Blount County and share the devastating news with the jailed father.
“I arranged with the sheriff of Blount County to let the family go make that notification in person,” Smith said.
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