A Florida couple is behind bars for allegedly using an online dating app to lure a 16-year-old girl to their home, brutally torturing and murdering her before dismembering her remains.
The body of Miranda Corsette was discarded in a dumpster days after she was reported missing on Feb. 24, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Authorities allege that Steven Gress, 35, used the online dating app Grindr to lure Corsette to his house, located approximately 20 miles southwest of Tampa, on Feb. 14.
“After meeting him the first time, [Corsette] went home and then the next day she returned to [Gress’] home,” police said.
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Miranda Corsette smiles in an undated photograph shared by the St. Petersburg Police Department. Corsette was allegedly murdered by a man she had met on a dating app, Steven Gress, and his domestic partner, Michelle Brandes. (St. Petersburg Police Department)
Grindr did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Police believe that the teen, who was a frequent runaway and the mother to an 11-month-old baby, was staying at the home with Gress and his domestic partner, 37-year-old Michelle Brandes. Ten days after she initially met the couple, Corsette’s grandmother, her primary caregiver, reported her missing to the Gulfport Police.
“[Her grandmother] said she normally comes home, so she doesn’t report her missing every time she leaves,” Commander Mary Farrand, acting police chief for the city of Gulfport, said in a press conference. “[Corsette] just didn’t come back in a timely manner this time.”
On Feb. 20, Corsette, Gress and Brandes got into an argument over a missing ring that the couple believed Corsette had stolen, according to police.
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Steven Gress is charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder for the alleged killing and dismemberment of 16-year-old Miranda Corsette in St. Petersburg, Florida. (St. Petersburg Police Department)
Gress and Brandes allegedly tortured Corsette repeatedly over the course of several days, eventually causing her to suffocate by stuffing a billiard ball in her mouth and wrapping her face with plastic wrap, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
“From the 20th through the 24th, she was beaten and tortured, because they could not find this piece of jewelry,” St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway said.
Authorities believe that Corsette was killed between Feb. 20 and Feb. 24.
Following Corsette’s murder, authorities allege that Gress transported her body to a house owned by Brandes’ mother in nearby Largo, Florida. Evidence found at the home indicated that Corsette’s body had been dismembered before Gress drove the remains to Hillsborough County and disposed of them in a dumpster, police said.
On March 6, a witness reached out to police to report a possible kidnapping and homicide involving a missing teen, according to authorities.
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Michelle Brandes turned herself in to St. Petersburg Police and is charged with first-degree murder for the alleged slaying of 16-year-old Miranda Corsette. (St. Petersburg Police Department)
“Detectives located the dumpster and are working to find the body,” St. Petersburg police said in a statement.
A representative from the St. Petersburg Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that the investigation into Corsette’s murder remains ongoing.
Gress was already in police custody for weapons and drug offenses when police charged him with first-degree murder and kidnapping on March 7. The next day, Brandes turned herself in to police and was subsequently charged with first-degree murder.
“This is a classic case of a vulnerable young lady who most likely sought attention online,” Patrick McCall, a security expert at McCall Risk Group, told Fox News Digital. “This attention came from a man who easily preyed on her and who told her the right things, and she fell into his trap.”
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Gress’ and Brandes’ attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“This is a horrific crime,” Holloway said. “We want to ensure that we bring justice to Miranda. I want to say that we want to hold all of the responsible parties accountable.”
Corsette’s murder comes as predators continue to use online dating apps to lure victims to their deaths.
In July 2024, a Pennsylvania man was arrested, having allegedly used Grindr to meet a 14-year-old transgender teenager. DaShawn Watkins, 29, is currently facing murder charges after Pauly Likens’ dismembered remains were found at Shenango River Lake in Clark Borough, Pennsylvania.
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Earlier this year, a Virginia man was found guilty of using dating apps to kill two women in 2021. Anthony Robinson is awaiting sentencing for the murders of Beth Redmon and Tonita Smith, after a jury convicted him of killing both women and dumping their bodies in a nearby wooded area.
Personal safety experts are warning parents to keep an eye on their kids’ social media usage and look for warning signs that could indicate that they are talking to strangers online.
“A lot of times teens are preyed upon by people who will portray themselves as someone their age or express similarities to them to gain their trust,” McCall said. “[Some signs include] being secretive with the phone, taking phone calls outside, hiding the phone, talking about a new friend or sudden interest in something they normally wouldn’t be interested in that could relate to the person they are talking to. Usually, there is a tale or sign the child will slip out in conversation or in a behavior which deviates from their normal routine.”
