A Florida teen was found dead and dismembered, and St. Petersburg police have made one arrest in the case and are still looking for another individual.
The first arrest was a man, and the second person that law enforcement authorities are still looking for is a woman. A witness contacted police on Mar. 6, 2025, saying that they had information regarding a potential kidnapping and homicide involving a missing teenager.
Missing Teen Believed To Have Been Killed and Dismembered
Through an investigation, detectives learned that the victim, identified as 16-year-old Miranda Corsette, was lured through a social media app. She was set up to meet 35-year-old Steven Gress on Feb. 14, 2025, Valentine's Day.
Officials said that Corsette remained with Gress and his domestic partner, who was identified as 37-year-old Michelle Brandes, at the couple's home. Police added that a dispute occurred on Feb. 20, 2025, and Corsette was beaten and killed sometime before Feb. 24, 2025.
Police added that Gress later put the victim's body inside a car and drove off with it to a house at 12243 Mallory Drive in Largo. They also found evidence in the area that indicated Corsette was dismembered, driven to Hillsborough County, and placed inside a dumpster located at 2893 14th Ave. S.E., Ruskin, according to My Sun Coast.
Detectives have now located the dumpster in question and are working on finding the body of the victim. The arrest of Gress was made before the case, and he was in jail on unrelated charges to Corsette's kidnapping and murder.
Authorities arrested the suspect on Mar. 5, 2025, for pointing a harpoon at his domestic partner as well as for possession of drugs. They also revealed that Gress is facing a kidnapping charge in the disappearance of the teenage girl amid the ongoing investigation. More charges are expected to be brought moving forward.
Kidnapping the Victim
Officials said that Corsette was homeschooled and lived together with her grandmother before she was kidnapped and brutally killed. The teenager's parents are both deceased, and she was also the mother of an 11-month-old baby, Fox13 News reported.
Acting police chief for the city of Gulfport, Commander Mary Farrand, said that they were very familiar with Corsette. She described the victim as a frequent runaway and has a history of mental health issues and drug abuse.
Farrand said that Corsette typically comes home after going out for a while, and she is not reported missing every time she leaves. But this time, she did not come back on time, prompting the report.
The development comes as nine students went missing while on a vacation and were later found dismembered on the side of a highway in Mexico. The victims include four women and five men from Tlaxcala, Mexico, as per People.
