TAMPA, Fla. — Life in prison or death. Hillsborough County Judge Christopher Sabella will decide on which one to sentence Steven Lorenzo with at some point this week.
Last December, Lorenzo pleaded guilty to drugging, torturing, raping, murdering, and dismembering Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz in 2003.
"The State of Florida stands before your honor today to humbly ask you to impose the ultimate, the harshest, the most severe punishment allowed by the laws of this state," said State Attorney Susan Lopez.
A plea for death, drawing support from even Lorenzo himself.
"I'm 64 years old. I could be on death row for 10, 15 years. The comforts that they get on the death row are a lot more comfortable than it is in the federal system. You get your own private cell, you get your own tv, you get your own computer, you get all this stuff," Lorenzo said.
Defending himself, Lorenzo said he only wants to tell his version of events.
"It's a false claim. They're twisting the facts, twisting it all around. And you know, that's their job to do it, that's fine. But I'm not going to counter it. Because I want this court to make me think I'm the worst thing on two feet," he added.
Nearly 20 years ago, on back-to-back nights, Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz disappeared from a Tampa nightclub.
Scott Schweikert testified Monday about his involvement in the two disappearances.
"We already determined we worked well together using another individual. We wanted to see if we could go to the next step, which would be murder," he testified.
While other victims of Lorenzo recalled what they called their scary encounters with him.
"I recalled his face. He didn't look the same. There was nothing behind his eyes. They were dark and it panicked me," said Albert Perkins.
Scweikert took a plea deal in 2016.
Lorenzo pleaded guilty in December but said Schweikert's account is wrong.
Sentencing is expected to go through the end of the week but could wrap sooner. There's no jury, so Steven Lorenzo's fate is solely in the judge's hands.
