Florida death row inmate Steven Lorenzo seeking death penalty ruled competent by judge

Convicted killer ruled competent by judge

A Tampa judge agreed Thursday that death row inmate Steven Lorenzo seeking the death penalty is mentally competent. FOX 13's Evan Axelbank reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa judge agreed Thursday that death row inmate Steven Lorenzo is mentally competent to fire his appeals lawyers and give up all remaining legal challenges.

The backstory:

Death row inmate Steven Lorenzo, who was convicted in 2022 for the 2003 torture and killings of Michael Wachholtz and Jason Galehouse, waived his remaining legal appeals during a rare evidentiary hearing Thursday, clearing the way for Governor Ron DeSantis to sign a death warrant at any point 30 days from now.

PREVIOUS: Steven Lorenzo sentenced to death for murders of Jason Galehouse and Michael Waccholtz in 2003

Lorenzo insisted he wanted to end all appeals, waive further legal review and allow the state to proceed toward execution.

Steven Lorenzo confessed to killing Jason Galehouse and Michael Waccholtz.

A doctor who evaluated Lorenzo testified that he is mentally competent and not suicidal, describing him as someone who wants to spend the rest of his life alone and understands the outcome of his decision.

Dig deeper:

During the hearing, the judge questioned Lorenzo about dismissing his post-conviction proceedings and warning that the decision could not be undone.

PREVIOUS: Convicted killer Steven Lorenzo back in court for competency hearing after being sent to death row

Lorenzo has been acting as his own attorney and has filed a series of handwritten motions from death row. In those filings, including a letter dated December 1 and filed in court on December 9, he accuses the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel of working against his wishes and asks the court to remove the team assigned to represent him during post-conviction proceedings.

The judge ruled that Lorenzo willingly waived his right to pursue further post-conviction relief, granting his motion to dismiss the proceedings. She added that death row inmates have the right to make their own legal decisions, if they are competent, but said she wished Lorenzo would allow the legal process to continue.

The judge noted that so far this year, 19 people have been executed in the State of Florida, a record-breaking pace.

What's next:

Lorenzo's execution could happen as early as 2026.