Steven Lorenzo

Case record: Steven Lorenzo

STATUS and sentence

Steven Lorenzo was sentenced to 200 years in prison on January 28, 2006. A U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara said after the sentencing: "I hope that he never sees the light of day again."

Background

Steven Lorenzo was 46 years old at the time of his guilty verdict in November. He was found guilty in federal court of drugging, raping, and sexually torturing nine men. Prosecutors said Lorenzo teamed up with Scott Schweickert to kill two of the victims, but Lorenzo had not been charged with murder in any of the nine cases.

The offence

Lorenzo was found guilty of slipping the "date-rape drug" GHB into the drinks of nine gay men, and then raping and sexually torturing them at his home.

Seven of Lorenzo's victims testified that they met Lorenzo in Tampa gay bars and went home with him. According to their testimony, when they woke up they were naked, bound and in pain. Michael Wachholtz and Jason Galehouse were among the victims named in the rape case, and both ended up dead.

Lorenzo's attorney argued that the sex acts were consensual. Prosecutors said Lorenzo served them drinks before they lost consciousness. The men woke up naked and in pain, with some remembering bondage or forced sex, and others having almost no memory of what happened.

Investigation

Investigators found evidence tied to the two murders and to the rape case. Schweickert's voluntary confession led police to a cache of nearly half a million images on Lorenzo's computer, including photographs of Wachholtz's dead body taken at Lorenzo's house.

Galehouse's DNA was found in a pool of blood under the floor of Lorenzo's garage.

Investigators also looked into the connection between Lorenzo and the disappearance of at least six other gay men in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, with investigators believing there were other victims of Lorenzo beyond the nine strongest cases.

Brian Winfield, spokesman for Equality Florida, said he was pleased with the results of the federal trial, but wanted to ensure that murder charges go forward. Winfield told the PlanetOut Network that police homophobia, contrary to earlier fears, has so far not hindered the investigation or the prosecution. Winfield said: "We used town-hall meetings and press releases and other means to help victims who might be intimidated (by possibly homophobic officers) to come forward," and said: "Now the gay community's relationship with Tampa police has grown stronger, and we have a mostly open communication with the state attorney."

Winfield also said: "Everyone involved in the case believes there are other victims of Lorenzo," and "These nine were just the strongest cases."

Names and roles of other people

• Steven Lorenzo — defendant; convicted in federal court on all 10 counts of drugging, raping, and torturing nine men, and prosecutors said he also murdered two victims with Schweickert.
• Scott Schweickert — accomplice; a Chicago man who was expected to face a federal trial on similar drug charges. Schweickert was also described as confessing to cutting up and disposing of a victim's body.
• Jason Galehouse (26) — victim whose death was described; prosecutors said he was murdered and dismembered on Dec. 19, 2003.
• Michael Wachholtz (26) — victim whose death was described; prosecutors said he was drugged, raped and killed on the night after Dec. 19, 2003.
• Ruth Wachholtz — Wachholtz's mother; she was in court as the verdict was read.
• Donald Harrison — Lorenzo's attorney; he said Lorenzo would appeal.

The murders (related conduct)

Prosecutors said Lorenzo and Scott Schweickert murdered Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz in December 2003.

Schweickert told federal agents that he and Lorenzo dismembered the body of Jason Galehouse, 26, put the pieces in garbage bags and scattered them in trash bags throughout Tampa on Dec. 19, 2003.

The next night, Lorenzo and Schweickert allegedly drugged, raped and killed Michael Wachholtz, 26, wrapping him in a bed sheet and leaving him in his Jeep.

The vehicle was discovered Jan. 6, 2004.

Photographs of Wachholtz's dead body taken at Lorenzo's house were found on Lorenzo's computer among hundreds of thousands of images.

Galehouse's DNA was found in a pool of blood in the dirt beneath the cobblestone floor of Lorenzo's garage.

Trial

Lorenzo was found guilty on all 10 counts Thursday, November 10, 2005, with convictions covering drugging, raping and torturing nine men.

Deliberations began Wednesday and only took about three-and-a-half hours.

Wachholtz's mother, Ruth Wachholtz, was in court as the verdict was read. Lorenzo's family, his father and two siblings, were also in the audience, and one of them started to cry as the guilty verdicts were read.

Lorenzo stayed calm, smiling and making kissing motions and patting his attorney on the back during the verdict reading.

Lorenzo's attorney, Donald Harrison, said he will appeal.

Sentencing

On January 28, 2006, Lorenzo was sentenced to the maximum 200 years in a Florida prison.

The sentencing followed a federal jury verdict in November that Lorenzo, 46, was guilty of slipping GHB into the drinks of all nine victims and then sexually torturing them at his home.

The account also stated that sentencing had been expected to take place in January and that Lorenzo could receive up to 20 years in prison for each count.

Appeals and future proceedings

Lorenzo's attorney stated he will appeal.

State and local authorities believed it was likely that both men would face murder charges in state court as well, while state prosecutors were building their case against Lorenzo.

Schweickert faced a federal trial later on similar drug charges, and a federal trial on similar drug charges was described as occurring within two weeks.

Other details

A Tampa man convicted in federal court of drugging and raping nine young men was sentenced to the maximum 200 years in prison Friday, and two of the victims ended up dead.

Investigators found on Lorenzo's computer hundreds of thousands of images, including photographs of Wachholtz's dead body taken at Lorenzo's house hours after he was last seen.