A Florida man and his girlfriend have been charged with murder in the death and dismemberment of a Gulfport teen last month.
Miranda Corsette was reported missing on February 24, days after she disappeared. Gulfport Police said the 16-year-old, mother of an 11-month-old baby, lived with her grandmother because both of her parents were dead and was a frequent runaway.
“We are very familiar with Miranda,” said Commander Mary Farrand, acting police chief for Gulfport, according to WTVT. “She is a frequent runaway and has a history of mental health issues as well as drug abuse. The grandmother is her primary caregiver and said Miranda usually comes home, so she doesn’t report her missing every time she leaves. She just didn’t come back in a timely manner this time.”
St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway said during a news conference that Corsette met Steven Gress, 35, on a dating app, and he picked her up from her Gulfport home on February 14 then brought her home later that evening. The next day, she went back to Gress’s home on her own and stayed there with him and his girlfriend, Michelle Brandes, 37.
On February 20, there was some kind of altercation over missing jewelry, and Corsette was severely beaten, NewsNation reported.
Police believe Corsette was killed sometime between February 20 and 24.
Investigators suspect that Gress transported Corsette’s body to his mother’s home in Largo. Police found evidence at the residence indicating that Corsette’s body was dismembered. Gress then allegedly drove the body and discarded it in a dumpster at 2893 14th Avenue S.E. in Ruskin. Police have located that dumpster and are working to find Corsette’s body.
Gress has been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in connection with Corsette’s disappearance. At the time of his arrest, he was already in county jail for a March 5 incident in which he pointed a harpoon at Brandes and drug possession.
“This is a horrific crime,” Holloway said. “We are still investigating it, and we want to ensure we bring justice for Miranda. We will examine every piece of evidence that we can find. We want to hold all responsible parties accountable.”
Brandes, who has also been charged with first degree murder and kidnapping, later turned herself in to St. Petersburg police. They’re both being held without bond.
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[Feature Photo via Gulfport police]