Lorenzo Kept 'Trophies' Of Hookups, Officer Says
Published: Nov 4, 2005
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TAMPA - The meeting of two twisted, kindred spirits began with an introductory e-mail.
"My name is Scott," Scott Schweickert wrote to Steven Lorenzo -- or, as they were known online, MstrScott and DomDudeForSub -- "and I believe you had talked with LimitXpander here on AOL. He had suggested I contact you regarding a particular boy from the Tampa area called Johnny Torture or fieldslave2. I would definitely like to discuss this boy and the possibilities of what might be done with him if you have the time."
The date was Oct. 2, 2003. Within three months, the government says, Schweickert and Lorenzo had teamed up to turn their ultimate sadomasochistic domination fantasies into reality, with the drugging, torture and killing of two men, Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz.
Lorenzo is standing trial on federal charges of drug-facilitated crimes of violence against nine men, including Wachholtz and Galehouse. He also is charged with conspiracy. Schweickert faces a later trial on similar charges.
Investigators who searched Lorenzo's home at 213 W. Powhatan Ave. found a trove of printouts of gruesome online chats and e-mails between Lorenzo and Schweickert, documenting the sadistic friendship that centered on plans to "take" or kidnap willing or unsuspecting men for domination sessions that could last days.
They talked in the chats about making some men disappear forever.
"Lorenzo and Schweickert took their fantasy to that reality and murdered Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz the weekend of Dec. 19 through the 22nd," testified Tampa police Officer John Columbia. "And Mr. Lorenzo kept this information as, if you will, trophies."
On Dec. 6, 2003, Schweickert and Lorenzo chatted online about possible candidates for what the prosecution said would be a practice torture and bondage session with a willing member of their sadomasochistic subculture.
Wrote Lorenzo: "Need to show you another who is looking for a kidnapping and a bound and raped thing in South Florida."
Schweickert: "I'd love to do some damage. As of right now, I'm in."
Lorenzo: "He has no problem being taken and cuffed in a van and whisked off to be gang raped and kept a couple of days."
The next day, investigators said, the two men linked up with the willing victim. Lorenzo cuddled and comforted the submissive man as Schweickert inserted a rod into his penis. The session went beyond what the man had expected, according to Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Scott Albrecht, but he still later contacted Lorenzo wanting to hook up again without Schweickert.
Nine days later, on Dec. 18, 2003, Lorenzo and Schweickert talked about their weekend plans to meet two Fort Myers male prostitutes at the Metropolis bar in Tampa. Schweickert was living in Orlando and planned to travel to Tampa.
They talked about tricking the street hustlers into allowing themselves to be bound, hooded and gagged by telling them they would pay them to pose for photographs. After tying the men up, Lorenzo and Schweickert agreed they would separate them and "take them into different rooms and start working on them."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Porcelli has told jurors that the prostitutes didn't show up as planned, so the two turned their sights first on Galehouse and the following night on Wachholtz.
On Nov. 2, 2004, investigators interviewed Lorenzo. Albrecht said Lorenzo became "visibly shaken" when shown photos of Galehouse and Wachholtz, but denied ever meeting them.
