Janet Acosta had a peaceful ritual during lunch breaks from her job at the Miami Herald. She’d drive to a quiet park next to the Japanese Rock Gardens, where she would sit her van under a shade tree while eating, napping and recharging.
Michael Tanzi shattered that peace on April 25, 2000, when he attacked the 49-year-old Acosta, repeatedly punching her, tying her up and taking her on a nightmare four-hour odyssey that included her rape and eventual murder.
When Acosta didn’t return to her job on the production staff at the Herald, her co-workers were concerned and a search was launched. Ultimately it was Tanzi who would lead police to where he buried her body over 100 miles away…