ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Court TV) — A couple accused of killing a missing teenager stopped for fast food after dismembering her body, according to new court documents filed in Florida.
(L) Steven Gress, (R) Michelle Brandes (St. Petersburg Police)
Steven Gress, 37, and Michelle Brandes, 38, are charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of 16-year-old Miranda Corsette.
Prosecutors say that Gress was living with Brandes and another woman, but frequently brought other women home. Miranda was one of those who had arrived with Gress, but as a neighbor noticed while watching through her surveillance cameras, one day Miranda came to visit and never left.
Gress and Brandes were arrested and charged in 2025, but a new affidavit from St. Petersburg Detective Brian Bilbrey, the case’s lead investigator, reveals that a third woman was in the home when Miranda was allegedly killed. That woman told officers that Miranda met Gress on the social media app Grindr; the teen came over on Valentine’s Day and then left that evening.
When Miranda returned early the next day, Gress discovered he was missing a ring. Furious, Gress called Brandes to help him get the ring back from Miranda, whom he had accused of stealing it, the witness said.
In an interview with the detective after his arrest, Gress said that he initially thought the victim was 20 because she lied about her age. “He didn’t really care about her age; he was just upset that she had stolen a ring from him, and he was trying to get it back,” Bilbrey said in his affidavit. “The torture continued for a week, but every time Miranda sustained an injury, he went to buy her medication to help her heal.”
Gress pointed to Brandes as Miranda’s true killer, saying that his co-defendant “took a ball from a pool table in the backyard, put it in a sock and shoved it down Corsette’s throat and then wrapped her face in plastic wrap. Gress stated that he told Brandes not to cover her nose, but Brandes did and he couldn’t get to Corsette quick enough to poke holes in the plastic before she died.”
Bilbrey said throughout his conversation with Gress, the defendant’s focus remained on the missing ring. “Gress kept telling your Affiant how important this ring was to him and that he wanted to use it as a learning experience to teach Corsette she couldn’t just go into someone’s house and steal stuff.”
Miranda Corsette (St. Petersburg Police Department)
After the victim’s death, the witness who lived in the house with Brandes and Gress said that she saw the two wrap Miranda’s body in a blanket and put it in the trunk of a car. The three then got in the vehicle and drove to Brandes’ mother’s house in Largo, Florida, where the witness said she stayed inside the house while Brandes and Gress dismembered the victim outside.
Gress and Brandes then allegedly placed the victim’s body into trash bags, and the three packed them up as they got back in the car. Before disposing of the remains in a dumpster, the witness said, the three went out to celebrate Brandes’ birthday: First the group went to Popeyes for fried chicken, and then they played a round of miniature golf.
Days after disposing of the victim’s body, the witness said that Brandes told her she found Gress’ ring in his car; she told Bilbrey she suspected that Brandes had taken and hidden the ring all along.
In an interview with investigators, Brandes claimed that she was a victim and had no choice but to do what Gress told her.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for both defendants. Brandes, through her attorneys, has filed a number of motions challenging the death penalty. But in court on Wednesday, Gress declared that he was willing to accept the punishment.
“I’ve been ready to plead guilty to this since last April,” Gress said in court, the Tampa Bay Times reported. “I’ll take the death penalty. I don’t want to go to trial.” When questioned by the judge, Gress said that he didn’t want to be in jail anymore and would rather be in prison. He said he had no interest in a trial on guilt or a penalty phase and would be happy to have the judge decide the appropriate punishment.
The judge ordered Gress to undergo a competency evaluation before proceeding.
