The corpse of the 16-year-old girl was reportedly dumped in a trash close to the residence of one of the suspect’s grandparents. This occurred after the pair allegedly bragged to their neighbors and family members about the weeklong torment they endured over a ring that most likely was never lost in the first place.
Miranda Corsette, a young mother who ran away at the age of 16, is suspected to have been killed and mutilated by a guy and his girlfriend for a lost ring. The man and his girlfriend met him via an online dating app. More facts have surfaced in the terrible case of Miranda Corsette.
The authorities now believe that the couple who are accused of murdering Corsette went out to celebrate a birthday between the time that she was murdered and dismembered and the time that her body was ultimately thrown away in a trash dumpster close to the residence of one of the suspect’s grandparents. Corsette leaves behind a child who is one year old.
According to a request for a search warrant that was submitted by the St. Petersburg Police Department and acquired by The Tampa Bay Times, Steven Gress, 35, and Michelle Brandes, 37, are said to have spent some time celebrating Brandes’ birthday following Corsette’s murder.
It is stated in the document that the pair took part in activities such as playing mini-golf at Congo River in Clearwater and eating at Popeyes. After that, they reportedly drove around the Tampa Bay region seeking for suitable locations to dispose of Corsette’s corpse. This was the next step in their planned action.
Corsette was staying with her grandparents at the time of her disappearance, and her grandmother described the girl as a regular runaway to the police when she reported her missing. In the end, the police think that they landed on a dumpster that is located next to the home that Gress’ grandparents own in Ruskin.
The investigation conducted by the St. Petersburg Police Department reveals that the dumpster that the suspected murderers selected was hauled to a landfill, where its contents were burned. The department thinks that the alleged murderers were fortunate enough to have chosen the dumpster that they did.
It has been determined that the remains of Corsette have not been discovered; yet, the prosecution is continuing to pursue its charges against Gress and Brandes.
During the process of constructing their case, prosecutors and detectives have reportedly met with at least six individuals. These individuals say that the pair informed them that they were abusing Corsette during the week that she was with them, or that they knew about the alleged abuse. This information was obtained by ABC station WTVT.
Gress allegedly informed other neighbors about Corsette, and even bragged of harming her, according to the police who were presented with the information. It is stated that he delivered the following statement to one of them: “This little bitch stole my ring and won’t give it back, so I’ve been beating her ass.”
In addition, it is claimed that he provided naked photographs of the youngster to at least three individuals, one of whom was his mother. These photographs purportedly showed the kid’s health deteriorating and her injuries growing. Police have claimed that they are attempting to secure a warrant in order to access the contents of his mother’s phone, despite the fact that his mother has denied receiving them. Despite the fact that they were supposedly notified about Corsette, none of the individuals phoned 911.
According to the arrest warrant, a lady who supposedly resided with Gress and Brandes apparently confided in authorities that Gress had a history of being violent. Brandes was also allegedly involved in the incident. This lady said that he would go to such far as to purchase animals from Craigslist and then murder them by hurling them over of a bridge with reckless abandon.
Additionally, the roommate disclosed further information on the alleged lost ring, which the investigators think was the impetus for Gress to initiate the assault of the adolescent. In the midst of the torment that lasted for a week, Brandes appeared with the ring. According to the roommate, she is of the opinion that Brandes had it all along and that Gress purposefully represented that it was lost or stolen in order to get rid of Corsette.
The Sixth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bruce Bartlett told the Times that there have been no new arrests yet, but that there is a “pretty good likelihood of more to come.” This is despite the fact that the police have been speaking with a large number of persons in relation to the continuing investigation.
It was on February 24 when Corsette’s grandmother filed a missing person report for her granddaughter. During the course of their investigation, the investigators found out that the first time Corsette spoke with Gress was on Valentine’s Day, and that the communication took place using the online dating app Grindr.
They came to the conclusion that she had consented to meet him at his residence, after which she went back to her own residence before coming back to his residence once again. On this occasion, she did not come back.
The grandmother of Corsette “said she normally comes home, so she doesn’t report her missing every time she leaves,” Farrand remarked to the press in reference to the persistent runaway. “She just didn’t come back in a timely manner this time.”
Since that time, the police think that Corsette had been sleeping at Gress’ house with him and his “domestic partner” Brandes. However, on February 20th, things took a turn for the worst. A “dispute occurred and she was beaten,” according to the statement, which made the allegation. The lost ring was allegedly the source of contention in that debate, as reported by NDTV.
Corsette was reportedly imprisoned against her will for more than seven days and subjected to torture, as stated in the arrest document that was issued on Saturday and seen by NDTV. It is stated that Gress and Brandes beat the teenager and finally smothered her by putting a billiard ball in her mouth and covering her face with plastic. This occurred during the time period in question.
In the aftermath of her passing, the police said that Gress had placed Corsette’s corpse into a vehicle and driven her fifteen miles to a residence in Largo, which was owned by Brande’s mother. This information was provided by Law & Crime. According to the announcement, the police discovered physical evidence from the residence that assisted them in coming to the conclusion that Corsette’s corpse was most likely dismembered there.
The investigators suspect that Gress and Brandes had some time to celebrate Brandes’ birthday after they had dismembered her corpse. After that, they made their way to the residence of Gress’ grandparents in order to dispose of Corsette’s remains.
According to reports, the corpse of Corsette was disposed of on Friday, March 7 in Hillsborough County, Florida. This occurred approximately two weeks after her grandmother reported that she was missing. In the aftermath of the passing of both of her parents, Corsette received her education at home and resided with her grandmother.
In a news conference that took place on Friday, March 7, Commander Mary Farrand, who is serving as the police chief for Gulfport, said that the department was “very familiar” with Corsette due to the fact that she was a “frequent runaway” and had a “history of mental health issues as well as drug abuse.”
At the time when both suspects were charged with first-degree murder and abduction, the police said that Gress was already in detention on a narcotics charge that was unconnected to the incident, in addition to being imprisoned for allegedly pointing a harpoon during the incident. In accordance with a news statement issued by the St. Petersburg Police Department, she handed herself in the next day.
During his first court appearance, Gress reportedly made the following statement to the judge: “They just said I suffocated–” according to NBC affiliate WFLA. However, his public defender interrupted him and told him, “Do not say anymore.” Gress’s statement was allegedly made after the charges were read out to him.
As can be seen in a video that was distributed by the Fox station WTVT, he also inquired about his co-defendant by asking, “Where is Michelle Brandes at?” for example. a number of occasions. In a straightforward manner, the court instructed him to “Talk to your lawyer.”
Without the possibility of bail, both of the accused are now being detained at the Pinellas County Jail.