TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Pair In Sex-Torture Case Said To Have Evil Christmas Wish

ADVERTISEMENT

By ELAINE SILVESTRINI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 19, 2007

TAMPA – Steven Lorenzo and Scott Schweickert wanted their victims' families to suffer during the Christmas holidays, according to evidence presented during their federal trials.

Four years after two of their victims disappeared, Lorenzo and Schweickert still are accomplishing that goal.

"The combination of it at Christmas, it's a double whammy," said Ruth Wachholtz, whose son Michael was one of two young men who died after being drugged by Lorenzo and Schweickert, according to federal court evidence. "The knowledge that's what they did on purpose, that they were trying to ruin someone's Christmas, really bothers me."

Lorenzo is serving 200 years in federal prison on nine charges of drug-facilitated crimes of violence and one charge of conspiring with Schweickert, who is serving 40 years in federal prison for one charge of conspiracy and one charge of a drug-facilitated crime of violence.

Lorenzo was convicted of slipping the date-rape drug GHB into the drinks of nine men and then sexually torturing them at his Seminole Heights home. Seven of the men survived, but two did not.

Schweickert was convicted of conspiring with Lorenzo to drug and torture the two who were killed, Michael Wachholtz and Jason Galehouse.

Schweickert and Lorenzo were fellow travelers in an online, sadomasochistic sexual subculture, according to evidence in their federal trials.

The prosecution in those cases introduced scores of Internet chats between the two in which they discussed selecting victims and making them disappear.

In one conversation, Schweickert, who used the computer screen name MstrSCOTT, wrote, "Taking someone just before xmas is ideal tho."

Lorenzo, using the name, DomDudeForSub, responded, "Why? Think it plays their minds more?"

"Absolutely," Schweickert wrote. "Knowing the entire family is together and he will never be with them again."

"Man you are sadistic," Lorenzo wrote. "I would do the same."

Galehouse and Wachholtz disappeared on Dec. 19 and 20, 2003, the weekend before Christmas. Wachholtz's decomposing remains were discovered several weeks later. Galehouse's body was never found. Schweickert later told investigators he helped Lorenzo dismember Galehouse and dump the body parts in the Tampa area, according to evidence in his trial.

Hillsborough State Attorney Mark Ober has said his office is preparing murder charges against the two men. But four years after the disappearance of Wachholtz and Jason Galehouse, the patience of some family members and friends is wearing thin.

"It's frustrating because it's four years later," said Melissa Hartford, a friend of Wachholtz who considered him a member of her family. "I've said this from the beginning, that I'm OK to be patient as long as they are going to do it and as long as they are going to do it properly, but it feels like now they are just putting it off.

"My friend's been dead for four years, and he was murdered, and they haven't even pressed murder charges," she added. "It gets more frustrating because it seems like every year I'm hoping more will be done and it's not. It gets really aggravating. It makes it worse, because if things had been done, then we would be more able to accept the situation. Obviously there's nothing we can do to bring Michael back, but justice has far from been done."

Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi, who is Ober's spokeswoman, said the case has not been forgotten. "It's still a very important case," she said. "It's a very active, important case, and we will have a decision soon."

Bondi said prosecutors in the office have been involved with numerous other homicides. Lorenzo and Schweickert, she noted, are "already serving prison sentences, so they won't be released."

Galehouse's mother, Pam Williams, is fed up. "This is getting ridiculous," she said. "I've about had it with Ober. … He's just going to dawdle this thing. I know he is."

Williams noted that Bondi had said a decision would be made after Schweickert's sentencing in April. "It's been eight months and not one word of anything about the case at all," she said. "And they have enough evidence right now to do this. What's the holdup here?"

Brian Winfield, spokesman for Equality Now, a gay rights organization, said members of the community have been patient but have their limits. "Reaching a four-year milestone after the disappearance of these young men speaks volumes as to how slow our system is working," he said.

Ruth Wachholtz said she's fine with the time it's taking as long as the two are charged with murder and prosecuted. "I was comfortable with waiting," she said. "I was thinking this was getting a little bit long."

"It really does not matter to me if they're in prison or not," she added. "They still need to be charged and pursued and convicted and sentenced. … The reason I wanted the state to go forward with this is because as far as I know, Florida still has a death penalty, and that's what I want."

Reporter Elaine Silvestrini can be reached at (813) 259-7837 or esilvestrini@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT