Steven Gress has pleaded guilty to kidnapping and first-degree murder in the 2025 killing of 16-year-old Miranda Corsette, while co-defendant Michelle Brandes continues to fight murder and kidnapping charges.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Nearly 18 months after investigators uncovered the killing of 16-year-old Miranda Corsette, one of the two people charged in her death has pleaded guilty and told a Pinellas County judge he would rather receive the death penalty than spend the rest of his life in prison.s
Steven Gress, 37, pleaded guilty Aug. 19 to first-degree murder and kidnapping. According to Court TV’s account of the plea hearing, Gress waived his right to have a jury hear the penalty phase, leaving Circuit Judge Philip Federico to ultimately decide whether he receives life in prison or a death sentence.
A presentence investigation is underway, and Gress is scheduled to return to court Nov. 4 as the case moves toward its penalty phase.
Gress had already told judge he wanted to plead guilty
Gress signaled his intentions during a July court appearance, weeks before the formal guilty plea.
“I’ve been ready to plead guilty to this since last April,” Gress told Federico, according to a Tampa Bay Times report on the July hearing.
“I’ll take the death penalty; I don’t want to go to trial,” he said.
The judge explained that pleading guilty would not allow Gress to bypass Florida’s capital sentencing process. Gress subsequently elected to have Federico, rather than a jury, make the sentencing recommendation.
Before accepting the plea in August, the court also addressed Gress’ competency.
Gress told the court he wanted to “accept responsibility,” although he continued disputing that he personally committed the final act that killed Corsette.
Brandes still faces murder case
Michelle Brandes, Gress’ domestic partner at the time of Corsette’s death, has not pleaded guilty.
Brandes is charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping and has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors are also seeking the possibility of a death sentence in her case if she is convicted.
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay’s report on the current court schedule, Brandes is scheduled for another pretrial hearing Oct. 22, while Gress is expected back in court Nov. 4.
The two cases are now moving separately through the Pinellas County court system.
Police say Corsette was lured to St. Petersburg home
The investigation began as a missing-person case.
The original St. Petersburg Police Department release on Corsette’s disappearance and killing said investigators learned that Corsette met Gress through a social media application on Feb. 14, 2025.
She returned home after their first meeting but went back to Gress’ duplex at 2708 27th Ave. N. the following day.
Corsette was reported missing to Gulfport Police on Feb. 24.
Police said she remained at the residence with Gress and Brandes. Investigators said a dispute occurred Feb. 20 and Corsette was beaten before being killed sometime between Feb. 20 and Feb. 24.
The case broke open March 6 when a witness contacted police with information about a possible kidnapping and homicide.
Court records revealed more about what allegedly happened inside home
Additional details emerged through court filings released as prosecutors prepared the cases for trial.
A third woman who was living with Gress and Brandes told investigators she was inside the home during the period Corsette was being held, according to court records detailed by Court TV.
Investigators said violence escalated after Corsette was accused of stealing a ring.
Gress admitted beating Corsette, according to court records, but later blamed Brandes for the act that caused her death. Brandes has given investigators a different account and has described herself as being subjected to abuse and threats by Gress.
Those claims remain relevant to Brandes’ pending case and have not been resolved by a jury.
Body was dismembered after killing
After Corsette died, police said her body was transported from St. Petersburg to a house at 12243 Mallory Drive in Largo.
Investigators found evidence indicating her body was dismembered there and later transported to Hillsborough County.
The remains were then placed in a dumpster at 2893 14th Ave. S.E. in Ruskin, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department.
A witness later told investigators that after the dismemberment, Gress, Brandes and the witness stopped for food and played miniature golf before the remains were discarded.
Corsette’s body has never been recovered.
Investigators determined the contents of the dumpster had already been collected before detectives could secure them.
Gress was already jailed when murder investigation developed
Gress was already in custody when detectives began assembling the homicide case.
St. Petersburg Police arrested him March 5, 2025, in an unrelated incident after accusing him of pointing a harpoon at Brandes and possessing drugs.
Police added a kidnapping charge as the Corsette investigation developed and charged him with first-degree murder March 7.
Brandes turned herself in the following day and was charged with first-degree murder.
A subsequent indictment also included kidnapping charges.
Corsette estate separately sued Grindr
Corsette’s death also led to a federal civil lawsuit against Grindr.
Rita Maria Farnham, acting as personal representative of Corsette’s estate, alleged that weaknesses in Grindr’s safeguards allowed the 16-year-old to use the dating platform and come into contact with Gress.
The case is formally titled Farnham v. Grindr, LLC.
In November 2025, U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber granted in part Grindr’s motion to compel arbitration. The federal court order in the Grindr case said the company had presented evidence of an arbitration agreement accepted when Corsette created an account.
That civil litigation is separate from the criminal prosecutions of Gress and Brandes.
Gress now awaits punishment
The question of Gress’ guilt is no longer headed for a jury after his guilty plea.
The remaining issue is punishment.
Florida prosecutors can continue seeking the death penalty despite Gress’ willingness to accept it, and the court must still conduct the required sentencing proceedings before Federico determines the sentence.
Brandes’ case remains unresolved.
She continues to be presumed innocent of the charges against her unless and until prosecutors prove them beyond a reasonable doubt.
NJ Link
Gress is reportedly the brother of Bruce Gress, a Toms River, NJ man who was shot and killed at a local Wawa.