Steven Gress, 35, and Michelle Brandes, 37, have been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the tragic case of 16-year-old Miranda Corsette. The disturbing details revealed in an arrest affidavit suggest that the Florida couple lured Corsette through a dating app, subjected her to horrific abuse, and ultimately ended her life by suffocating her with a billiard ball forced into her mouth and plastic wrap around her face.
The harrowing discovery of Corsette’s dismembered body in a dumpster in St. Petersburg, Florida, on March 7 shocked the community. She had been reported missing by her grandmother in Gulfport, Mississippi, on February 24. Police investigations uncovered a timeline that painted a grim picture of the teenager’s final days.
According to authorities, Gress used a dating app to coax Corsette to his residence on February 14, where she was held against her will for a week. Allegations suggest that both Gress and Brandes subjected her to relentless physical abuse, suspecting her of theft.
After enduring a week of torment, the arrest affidavit claims that the defendants ultimately silenced Corsette by placing a billiard ball in her mouth and tightly wrapping her head with plastic, causing her tragic death by suffocation.
Gress has pleaded not guilty, while Brandes’s plea remains unclear. St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway revealed that Corsette was a young mother living with her grandmother, having lost both her parents. She was homeschooled and tragically fell victim to this heinous crime.
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