A Florida couple who allegedly used an online dating app to attract a 16-year-old girl to the home of Florida couple, Cruel torture and murder She was before dismembering her body.
Miranda Corsette’s body was discarded a few days after disappearing on February 24, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Authorities claim Steven Gress, 35, lured Corsette into his house using the online dating app Grindr, about 20 miles southwest of TampaFebruary 14.
“After seeing him for the first time, [Corsette] Go home, she came back the next day [Gress’] home,” police said.
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Miranda Corsette smiles in an undated photo shared by the St. Petersburg Police Department. Corsette was allegedly murdered by a man encountered on the 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 the teenager is often out of control, and his mother is an 11-month-old baby who lives at home with Grace and his domestic partner, Michelle Brandes, 37. Ten days after she first met the couple, Cossett’s grandmother, her primary caregiver, Reported that she was missing To the Bay Police.
“[Her grandmother] She said she usually goes home, so she doesn’t report missing every time she leaves,” said Mary Farrand, acting police chief in Gulfport, in a news conference.[Corsette] But I didn’t come back in time this time. ”
On February 20, Corsette, Gress and Brandes argued that the couple believed Corsette stole the missing ring.
Steven Gress is charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder for allegedly killing and dismembering 16-year-old Miranda Corsette in St. Petersburg, Florida. (St. Petersburg Police Department)
According to court documents from Fox News Digital, Gress and Brandes allegedly tortured Corsette repeatedly over several days, eventually suffocating her by squeezing the billiard balls into her mouth and wrapping her face with plastic wrap.
“She was beaten and tortured from the 20th to the 24th because they couldn’t find the jewelry,” said Anthony Holloway, chief of police in St. Petersburg.
Authorities believe Corsette was killed between February 20 and February 24.
After Corsette’s murder, authorities said Gress transported her body to a home owned by her mother in Brandes near Largo, Florida. Police said evidence found at home showed that Cossett’s body had been dismembered before Grace drove the body to Hillsborough County and disposed of it in a trash can.
On March 6, an eyewitness and police reached out to report possible kidnapping and homicide involving missing teenagers.
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Michelle Brandes turned to the St. Petersburg Police Department and was charged with first-degree murder for alleged killing 16-year-old Miranda Corsette. (St. Petersburg Police Department)
“Detectives found the trash bin 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 numbers that an investigation into the Corsette murder is still underway.
Grace was already in police custody when police accused him of first-degree murder and kidnapping on March 7.
“This is a classic case of a fragile young lady who is likely to seek attention online,” Patrick McCall, a security expert at McCall, told Fox News Digital. “This attention comes from someone who is easy to prey on her and tell her the right thing, and she falls into a trap.”
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Gress’ and Brandes’ attorneys did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“It’s a terrible crime,” Holloway said. “We want to make sure we bring justice to Miranda. I want to say we have to hold all responsible parties accountable.”
Corsette’s murder comes as predators continue to use it Online dating app Attract victims to die.
July 2024, A man in Pennsylvania was arrested Grindr is allegedly used to meet a 14-year-old trans teenager. Dashawn Watkins, 29, is currently facing murder after Pauly Likens found his body at Shenango River Lake in Clark Borough, Pennsylvania.
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Earlier this year Virginia man convicted Kill two women using dating app in 2021. Anthony Robinson is awaiting sentence for the murder of Beth Redmon and Tonita Smith, and a jury found him guilty of killing a woman and leaving her body in a nearby wooded area.
Personal Security Expert Warn parents Pay close attention to your children’s social media usage and look for warning signs that might indicate they are talking to strangers online.
“A lot of times, teenagers are portrayed as someone who is aged or expresses similarities to them to gain trust prey,” McCall said.[Some signs include] Secret on the phone, making a phone call outside, hiding the phone, talking about new people or sudden interest in things they are not usually interested in may be related to the person they are talking to. Often, there is a story or signing that the child will behave in a conversation or deviate from normal circumstances. ”
