Steven Lorenzo still facing death penalty after failed attempt at plea deal
TAMPA, Fla. - At a virtual court hearing Friday, prosecutors announced they will pass on a plea deal offer from double-murder defendant Steven Lorenzo.
The rejection seemed to hit a nerve with Lorenzo, saying he had already decided to withdraw the offer, anyway.
"I was going to tell the state I'm withdrawing my offer to settle," said a defiant Lorenzo.
After nearly 20 years of legal wrangling, Lorenzo is defending himself as his trial approaches.
Steven Lorenzo plea deal rejected, murder trial to proceed
When notorious murder defendant Steven Lorenzo made a last-ditch effort to save his life by offering to plead no contest in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table, Hillsborough state attorney Andrew Warren says he didn’t have to think about it long.
Recently, in a 41-page motion, Lorenzo offered to plead "no contest" to two murder charges in exchange for the state dropping the death penalty. Now, Lorenzo says he takes it all back.
"I'm not going to negotiate with the state," Lorenzo told the judge.
Tampa judge Christopher Sabella gave both parties the bottom line.
"You won’t take an offer if they gave it. They’re not giving it, so we are going to trial," said Sabella.
Lorenzo faces two counts of first-degree murder in the 2003 deaths of Michael Wachholtz and Jason Galehouse.
Pictured: Jason Galehouse and Michael Waccholtz
Prosecutors say Lorenzo had help. They say he and co-defendant Scott Schweickert drugged the two gay men and then sexually tortured them before killing both.
Several years ago, Schweickert took a plea deal. He got a life sentence in exchange for prosecutors taking the death penalty off the table.
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Lorenzo was looking to cut the same deal. However, Jason Galehouse's mother, Pam Williams was not in favor of a deal for her son's accused killer.
"All I know is I want him dead," said Williams.
Lorenzo agrees to plea deal, but victims' families must approve
Steven Lorenzo, who is representing himself against two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Michael Wachholtz and Jason Galehouse, is willing to plead no contest to the crimes in exchange for the death penalty being off the table, according to a 46-page motion.
The Hillsborough state attorney Andrew Warren said the plea deal was never a consideration.
"His offer to plead no contest and not take responsibility for his crimes is absurd," said Warren.
Now, Lorenzo is headed to trial in April with the possibility he could be sentenced to death.
The next court date is set for two weeks.