Deana K. Lorenzo, aged 50, was tragically found dead on April 9, 2018, in the parking lot of the Galleria, an office building complex along Corkscrew Road in Estero, Florida. She was discovered alongside her husband, Serafin "Danny" Lorenzo, aged 53. The couple had traveled from Brooksville, Florida, to Estero with the intention of purchasing firearms from a listing on a website called Armslist. However, their trip ended in a horrific double homicide.
The investigation revealed that the Lorenzos were victims of an armed robbery orchestrated by two former U.S. Army soldiers, Alex Jared Zwiefelhofer and Craig Austin Lang. The assailants had planned the robbery to obtain money to fund their travel to Venezuela, where they intended to participate in armed conflict in nearby Bolivia. The Lorenzos were found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body, with one body discovered in the parking lot and the other in a red truck riddled with bullet holes.
Zwiefelhofer and Lang were charged with multiple offenses, including conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by violence, interference with commerce by violence, conspiracy to use and carry a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Zwiefelhofer was detained in Madison, Wisconsin, and later extradited to the Middle District of Florida in Fort Myers. Lang, who was living in Ukraine at the time, was also extradited to the United States to face trial.
The case garnered significant attention due to the backgrounds of the suspects and the nature of their crimes. Zwiefelhofer had previously gone absent without leave (AWOL) from the U.S. Army and had fought in Ukraine in 2017. Lang, a former soldier, had been involved in various conflicts and was living in Ukraine at the time of his arrest. The investigation into the double homicide was extensive, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
In August 2024, Zwiefelhofer was sentenced to consecutive life sentences for his role in the murders and armed robbery of the Lorenzos. He was found guilty of several charges, including conspiracy to commit robbery, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and interfering with commerce. Lang, who was extradited from Ukraine, was also facing trial for his involvement in the crime. The sentencing of Zwiefelhofer marked a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the Lorenzo family, with authorities emphasizing their commitment to tackling violent crime and protecting communities from such threats.
