Michael Tanji, a Florida man convicted of murdering Miami Herald employee Janet Acosta in April 2000, was executed on Tuesday evening via lethal injection at the Florida State Jail. Tanji, 48, apologized to Acosta’s family in his final statement before the execution. Acosta, a newspaper production worker, was attacked during her lunch break, beaten, abducted, and ultimately strangled. Tanji confessed to the crime after being apprehended, admitting that he did not let Acosta go because he feared being caught.
Tanji was convicted of first-degree murder, carjacking, and armed robbery, with a jury recommending the death penalty unanimously. His various appeals were denied, including a recent attempt to delay his execution based on health issues, which the Florida Supreme Court ruled as untimely.
He is the third person executed in Florida this year, following two others earlier in 2025. The state continues to conduct executions using a three-drug cocktail. Tanji’s final meal consisted of pork chops, bacon, ice cream, and a candy bar, and he received very few visitors before the execution.
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