Friends Tell Of Last Times With Torture Case Victims

By ELAINE SILVESTRINI The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jan 11, 2007

TAMPA - Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz were caught up in the fun of Christmas in the days and hours before investigators say they met their deaths in the sadistic underworld of Steven Lorenzo and Scott Schweickert.

Witnesses in Schweickert's federal trial Wednesday described exchanging gifts and going to Christmas parties with Galehouse and Wachholtz before they disappeared on Dec. 19 and 20, 2003.

The prosecution said both victims, who didn't know each other, were lured from a nightclub to Lorenzo's home in Seminole Heights, where they were drugged, tortured and killed.

Lorenzo is serving 200 years in federal prison for attacking nine men and conspiring with Schweickert, 41. Schweickert, who is charged with two counts of drug-facilitated crimes of violence and one count of conspiracy, could face up to 60 years in prison in the Galehouse and Wachholtz cases.

Officials in the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office have said they are assembling murder charges against Lorenzo and Schweickert. When Schweickert's federal drug trial opened Wednesday, two state prosecutors were in the courtroom's spectator section taking notes.

Schweickert's attorney, Pedro Amador, told jurors in his opening statement that Lorenzo alone killed the victims. He said Schweickert was "in shock" when he saw Lorenzo kill Galehouse and was even more horrified when Lorenzo ordered him to help dismember Galehouse's body.

Investigators say Schweickert told them he and Lorenzo disposed of Galehouse's body parts in different places in Tampa. Wachholtz's body was placed in his jeep and found Jan. 6, 2004, in an apartment complex.

Amador said his client is homosexual and is "also involved in unusual sexual activity," including bondage and torture. But Amador said Schweickert's activities were consensual: "Both the people that receive the pain enjoy it and the people that inflict the pain enjoy it."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Porcelli told jurors Schweickert is a sadist who "could not control his sadistic desires."

Porcelli said Schweickert and Lorenzo were introduced on the Internet in October 2003 by someone who knew of their mutual interest in sexual domination, their desire to drug, torture and kill unsuspecting men.

When he found Lorenzo, Schweickert "met a kindred spirit in his evil ways," Porcelli said. During the course of two months, the two men had a total of about 60 exchanges through e-mail, instant messages, phone calls and in person, Porcelli said. Most of their conversations centered on "how to find easy victims to kill."

Amador said the conversations were pure fantasy for Schweickert. He said there is "no evidence Mr. Schweickert" was involved in drugging the victims.

Just two months after they met, Porcelli said, Schweickert and Lorenzo drugged Galehouse and then Wachholtz with GHB, known as the date rape drug, and then tortured and killed the victims.

Friends of the victims testified Wednesday about their last contacts with Galehouse and Wachholtz.

Justin Laughlin told jurors Galehouse was one of his best friends. Laughlin said for four months before he died, Galehouse rented a room from him. On Dec. 19, 2003, Laughlin, Galehouse and Laughlin's boyfriend went to a Christmas party together, Laughlin said.

When they got back from the party, Galehouse suggested they go to the nightclub 2606 for a drink before it closed. Laughlin said he and his boyfriend sat together and talked, and Galehouse went off to look for other people.

When the lights came up and the bar was closing, Laughlin said, Galehouse told him he had met two guys and was going to go home with them. Galehouse said he would see Laughlin in the morning, but Laughlin never saw him again.

Reporter Elaine Silvestrini can be reached at (813) 259-7837.