In the case of a Florida teenager, Thomas Stein, a jury of his peers found him guilty of first-degree felony murder and attempted robbery with a firearm. After five hours of deliberating, everyone returned to the courtroom around 8:30 p.m. Monday to hear the verdict.
Verdict and Sentencing
WINK News reporters experienced the courtroom firsthand, witnessing Stein’s family cry and his mother run out of the room. Meanwhile, Christopher Horne’s family–the co-defendant–left the room, celebrating.
People inside the courtroom, shortly after the verdict was delivered, could hear them in the hallway outside, cheering and someone screaming, “Guilty.”
Stein is scheduled for sentencing on July 10, 2026, and Horne will be sentenced later this month.
Teenage Shooting
Thomas Roy Stein, 18, was accused of murdering 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller on the evening of March 17, 2024, after a robbery attempt went south. Rincon-Miller and her two friends had just left the movies and were walking to McDonald’s around 9:00 p.m.
The girls were walking along the sidewalk when police say a silver SUV drove past them, flipped a U-turn, and flashed its high-beams, blinding the victims. According to the surviving victims, who testified on behalf of the prosecution in Stein’s trial, two men got out of the vehicle with guns, demanding their bags.
They said they heard gunshots, and when they turned to look, they saw their friend on the ground. Rincon-Miller reportedly said, “I just got shot,” and maintained consciousness until the paramedics and officers arrived to tell them what happened.
Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Noelia Alamar Hernandez testified that Rincon-Miller was shot at close range and died from complications of a gunshot wound. She walked jurors through the autopsy and explained that the trigger was pulled only 2-3 centimeters away from the victim.
Co-Defendant Testimony
Besides the testimony from the other convicted murderer in the case, Christopher Horne, the forensic evidence is what solidified the events that took place, proving Stein’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Horne testified that he and Stein had a plan to rob people that evening, but the original idea was to go to a bank. It changed when they saw Rincon-Miller and her friends walking. “I attempted to rob people,” Horne said. He told jurors he saw Stein shoot Kayla, and that he threw his phone into the Caloosahatchee River, along with the gun.
Horne admitted to lying to law enforcement before the trial, but agreed to testify truthfully under a plea deal to get a reduced sentence. He pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and three counts of attempted robbery. On May 19, 2026, he will be sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Forensic Evidence
The surveillance footage presented in court showed the SUV driving and aiming at the group of girls. Police tracked it to a local Hertz rental car facility and then to Stein’s home, where it was registered in his mother’s name.
When Stein took the stand in his defense, his attorney asked him verbatim, “Did you shoot Kayla Rincon Miller?” to which he replied, “No, sir.” He claims that more people were involved than Horne described, including two he identified as “JD” and “Trey.”
“I tried to separate them, and then before I know it the gun went off,” Stein testified. Neither surveillance footage nor the two surviving victims recalled this version of events, so it was more than likely perceived as perjury by the jury.
However, it is still unknown who actually pulled the trigger, shooting Kayla Rincon-Miller. Since both members involved are being sentenced this year, with Stein maintaining his innocence and Horne continuing to blame him, it is unlikely we will ever know the truth.
