TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Steven Lorenzo has confessed to killing Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz at his home in Tampa in 2003, and now he’s asking a Hillsborough County judge to sentence him to death for the crimes.
Lorenzo has filed a 147-page document with the court, confessing his involvement in the crimes. However, Lorenzo claims he was not the only one who participated in the murders.
In 2003, the deaths of Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz sent fear through the LGBTQ community when the two men disappeared after going to a Tampa nightclub.
The body of Wachholtz was found days later, but the body of Jason Galehouse has never been found.
In his handwritten court filing, Lorenzo claims the murders happened over different nights and that Galehouse and Wachholtz had come to his home for consensual sex involving bondage.
Lorenzo claims there were other experienced “bondage masters” who participated on the nights the two men were killed.
Lorenzo claims his roommate, Scott Schweickert participated and that it was Schweickert who “lost it” and beat Galehouse severely.
Lorenzo claims after the beating, the other “bondage masters” decided to “humanely kill” Galehouse by placing a pillow over his head.
Lorenzo claims Wachholtz died in a separate incident at his home that also involved consensual bondage. Lorenzo says Wachholtz died after using a combination of drugs, including meth, cocaine and GHB.
Lorenzo claims others were involved in that murder too, but so far he has not named anyone else and authorities have never said they had other suspects in the case.
Scott Schweickert confessed his role in the murders and received a life sentence after he agreed to testify against Lorenzo.
In court, Lorenzo told Judge Christopher Sabella he had written the confession and that he wants to be sentenced to death.
“Yes, it was written by me,” said Lorenzo.
However, Lorenzo says he does not want photos introduced that show him participating in bondage sex because he believes others will not understand what they are looking at.
Lorenzo also does not want other men to testify who were given the date rape drug by Lorenzo in night clubs around the same time Galehouse and Wachholtz were killed.
“But you want me to sentence you to death Right?” asked Sabella.
Lorenzo replied that he did, then Sabella asked “So you are going to object to the things they are going to put on that will convince me to sentence you to death?”
Lorenzo replied, “Well, it needs to be fair.”
Tyler Butler was a friend of Jason Galehouse and has advocated for his friend and followed all of the court proceedings since his death.
Butler says fairness would involve Lorenzo confessing who else was involved before he is sentenced to death.
“It’s not justice for me, it’s justice for Jason’s mother. For me, it will be justice to find out what happened to those other men,” said Butler.
The sentencing phase of the proceedings is scheduled to begin on Feb. 6.
