Steven Lorenzo

State murder charges and death penalty

Apart from the federal charges they faced, both Scott Schweickert and Steven Lorenzo also faced state murder charges under Florida state jurisdiction, which warranted a potential sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty if found guilty.

Both men were charged and tried separately between 2014 and 2023. Schweickert was first taken back to Florida to face state prosecution for the murders of Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz, and the prosecution announced that they would seek the death penalty for Schweickert. Two years later, on June 9, 2016, Schweickert pleaded guilty to both counts of first-degree murder, a decision which allowed him to avoid a potential death sentence, and he was hence sentenced to life imprisonment. As a condition of his plea, Schweickert agreed to testify against Lorenzo in his upcoming state trial for murder. As of 2025, Schweickert, who returned to federal custody after his state murder trial, is currently incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Marion, and his tentative release date is June 20, 2038, although he is expected to return to Florida upon his release to serve his life sentence for the 2003 Tampa murders in a state prison.

On November 2, 2017, Circuit Judge Mark Kiser ordered a competency hearing to determine if Lorenzo was mentally fit to stand trial for the 2003 Tampa murders. On December 5, 2017, it was ruled that Lorenzo was mentally competent to face trial for the killings.

On December 30, 2021, Lorenzo offered a plea of no contest, on the condition that the death penalty was taken off the table. He emphasized in his plea that he did not kill anyone but swore to not leave prison, and listed his arguments against the death penalty. In January 2022, Assistant State Attorney Justin Diaz stated that the prosecution would still seek the death penalty for Lorenzo and rejected any possible plea deal from Lorenzo, whose trial date was set in April 2022, and the prosecution stated that the families of Wachholtz and Galehouse wished for Lorenzo to be sentenced to death.

On December 2, 2022, Lorenzo pleaded guilty to both charges of murdering Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz in the first degree. Lorenzo additionally stated in court that he wanted the death penalty, stating that he expected it even if he went ahead with a trial with a not-guilty plea.

On February 6, 2023, a sentencing trial was conducted for Lorenzo, who elected to be sentenced by the trial judge instead of a jury. Hillsborough State Attorney Susan Lopez, who led the prosecution, sought the death penalty for Lorenzo, stating it was the only appropriate punishment for him. Scott Schweickert appeared as a witness and testified about the murders in court during the same hearing. The mothers of Wachholtz and Galehouse appeared in court and asked the judge to sentence Lorenzo to death, stating that he deserved to die for killing their sons.

On February 24, 2023, Hillsborough Circuit Judge Christopher Sabella sentenced 64-year-old Steven Lorenzo to death for the murders of Wachholtz and Galehouse, 19 years and three months after he murdered the two victims.

Death row and appeals As of 2026, Steven Lorenzo is incarcerated on death row at the Union Correctional Institution.

On June 19, 2025, the Florida Supreme Court dismissed Lorenzo's direct appeal against his death sentence.

On September 17, 2025, Lorenzo expressed that he intended to waive his remaining rights to appeal and discharge his lawyers, maintaining that he wished to be executed for the murder offenses he committed.

On December 18, 2025, Hillsborough Circuit Judge Michelle Sisco granted Lorenzo's motion to give up his remaining appeals, after determining he was mentally competent to make this decision. As a result, Lorenzo is eligible for execution in early-2026.

Aftermath The murders of Michael Wachholtz and Jason Galehouse were known to be one of the most infamous murders to occur in Tampa, Florida.