A 16-year-old girl from Florida was kidnapped and potentially dismembered after meeting a man she connected with through a social media app, as reported by the St. Petersburg Police Department. Miranda Corsette was initially reported missing to the Gulfport Police Department on Feb. 24. The St. Petersburg police were alerted by a witness on Thursday regarding a possible kidnapping and homicide concerning Corsette.
Investigations revealed that Miranda had been lured by 35-year-old Steven Gress through a social media application on February 14. After their first meeting, she returned to Gress’s duplex at 2708 27th Ave. N the following day. Corsette stayed with Gress and his partner, 37-year-old Michelle Brandes, until an altercation on Feb. 20 during which she was physically assaulted.
Authorities suspect that Corsette was killed between Feb. 20 and Feb. 24, with Gress transporting her body to a residence in Largo where evidence suggests her body was dismembered. Her remains were then taken to a dumpster in Hillsborough County at 2893 14th Ave. S.E., Ruskin. The police are actively searching for her body.
Gress was arrested on Wednesday for drug possession and threatening his partner with a harpoon. He now faces a kidnapping charge regarding Corsette’s disappearance. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are anticipated.
The St. Petersburg police continue to seek Michelle Brandes and urge anyone with information to come forward.
