Watch: Criminal Makes Bizarre Request For Death Penalty In Shocking Courtroom Moment

Steven Lorenzo, a 65-year-old man from Florida, was sentenced to death by a US judge after being convicted for the brutal murders of two men, Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz. However, before the sentence was read out, Lorenzo made a bizarre request to Judge Christopher Sabella, asking for the death penalty. The shocking moment from the hearing in February 2023 at the Hillsborough County Courthouse was captured on camera.

The footage shows Judge Sabella asking if anyone present in the courtroom wished to speak before he proceeds to read out the sentence. To this, Lorenzo raised his hand and expressed his gratitude to everyone present, telling prosecutors he had ‘no animosity’ towards them. He then requested the judge for the death penalty and also explained his reasons for wanting it.

“At my age I want to be comfortable so I’m asking you to give me the death sentence. I know I can be on death row for about 10 to 15 years which I think is crazy,” Lorenzo said. “The sooner I get euthanized, the faster I can fetch myself a new body and come back again. That’s how I look at it.”

Despite Lorenzo’s plea, Judge Sabella made it clear that his request would not influence the ruling. “I don’t know if what you say is perhaps some form of reverse psychology, nor do I care, I will not consider what you want in issuing my sentence,” the judge stated.

The judge then referred to testimony given by the mothers of Galehouse and Wachholtz, Pam Williams and Ruth Wachholtz, describing them both as ‘two very strong young ladies’. “In the words of Ms. Pam Williams, ‘From one Italian to another, Ti condanno a morte.’ That translates to ‘I sentence you to death’. That is the punishment that you deserve for these horrific crimes,” the judge said.

According to reports, Lorenzo was found guilty of luring Galehouse and Wachholtz, both 26, to his Tampa home in Florida where he tortured and killed them. His accomplice, Scott Schweickert, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in 2016.

In December 2003, Galehouse and Wachholtz disappeared after meeting Lorenzo at a nightclub in Tampa and their remains were later discovered in bins littered around the city. Schweickert made a plea deal with prosecutors to avoid the death penalty and revealed the horrific details of their crimes.

He told the court that he and Lorenzo had drugged, tortured and killed Galehouse and Wachholtz before disposing of their bodies. After initially pleading not guilty for the murders, Lorenzo filed a 147-page letter in November 2022, requesting the death penalty for his crimes.