Warning: The details discussed in this story are extremely graphic and may be disturbing to some readers.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — On Feb. 14, 2025, 16-year-old Miranda Corsette, of Gulfport, met an older man through a social media app.
What happened afterward can only be described as a series of horrific events that led to her death.
In a search warrant file in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, the circumstances of Miranda’s murder were described in disturbing detail as St. Petersburg police took testimony from the suspects, 35-year-old Steven Gress and 37-year-old Michelle Brandes, as well as other witnesses.
The investigation begins
The St. Petersburg Police Department’s investigation into Miranda’s disappearance and death began on March 6, when a man spoke to an officer, saying Brandes told him she helped murder and dismember a teenage girl.
Detectives took over the case and learned of several calls for service involving Brandes, Gress, and a woman who also lived at their apartment on 27th Avenue North. Hours before a detective arrived at the residence, Gress was arrested for an alleged domestic battery and Brandes left to go to her mother’s house in Largo.
The following morning, a neighbor living in an upstairs apartment told detectives that she was glad Gress was arrested and that he lived with Brandes and another woman in the apartment.
“[The lead detective] asked [the neighbor] if she had seen any younger females there recently, and her response was, ‘Well there was that one girl with black hair who was thére for few days, but she never left.'” the warrant stated. “[The neighbor] explained that she watches through her surveillance cameras and had never seen the dark-haired female leave after coming and going a couple of times after Valentine’s Day.”
Initially, detectives asked Gress why Brandes would say she helped him commit a murder. The lead detective wrote that he was surprised at Gress’ lack of reaction.
“Gress stated that Michelle Brandes was a liar, prostitute, was addicted to drugs, and nothing that came from her could be believed,” the warrant stated.
How Gress met Miranda
About an hour after talking to Gress, detectives spoke with the couple’s roommate. According to the warrant, she told detectives the pair had tensions because Gress wanted an open relationship, but Brandes was jealous.
“The female resident went on to say that Gress would find disadvantaged women and girls who were either homeless or addicted to drugs,” the warrant said. “She stated that Gress was very abusive to both she and Brandes and would kill animals he got from Craigslist.”
Gress later corroborated the animal story, saying he killed animals so he wouldn’t kill other people, detectives said.
When asked about the murder victim, the roommate began crying and said Gress met Miranda through Grindr. The 35-year-old had sex with the 16-year-old before taking her back home, according to police.
The roommate said Miranda came back early the next day, at which point a ring belonging to Gress went missing. Angered at this, the suspect called Brandes over to help get the ring back.
“The female resident told [detectives] that she felt Brandes had taken the ring in order to get
Gress not to like the girl because she was jealous and went on to say that Gress and Brandes had
beaten Miranda, eventually killing her,” the warrant stated.
Days of torture
While Gress initially denied any murder, he later confessed in an interview with detectives on March 7.
“Steven Gress started off by stating ‘this was never supposed to happen,'” the warrant stated.
Gress claimed that he initially believed the victim was 20 years old, but she later told him her real age.
Detectives said the murder suspect confessed to torturing Miranda with Brandes for a week, beating the teenager and sexually abusing her while searching her person for the ring. According to the warrant, Gress admitted to getting the teenager medicine to help her heal just to hurt her again.
“Gress stated his goal was to get his ring back and send Corsette home in couple of days
after she healed up,” the warrant said. “Gress stated he even bought her sore throat spray because Brandes had choked her out.”
During this time, a neighbor came over to the apartment to give Gress a joint and saw Miranda wrapped in a towel, sitting in a corner on the floor.
“The neighbor stated that she told the girl to give him his ring back so he would let her
go, and the girl responded, ‘I don’t have his ring,'” the warrant stated. “The neighbor stated that the girl was not free to leave, but she didn’t call the police because she figured the girl was just like the two female residents who always come back after being beaten by Gress.”
According to the warrant, Gress also said he sent photos and texts about the torture to multiple associates, including his mother. Five photos sent on Feb. 18 were said to show Corsette nude with more and more injuries — with the final photo showing that the teenager’s head “was so swollen that she was almost unrecognizable.”
While his mother told him to let Miranda go, not a single one of the text recipients contacted the police.
Detectives said Gress and the roommate told them that Brandes put Saran Wrap on the teenager’s face, covering her airways against Gress’ instructions not to suffocate her. In another interview, Brandes said she was a victim and was threatened to do whatever her boyfriend said.
In any case, Miranda died after the plastic was wrapped around her face, according to police.
Disposing of the body
Detectives said Gress, Brandes, and their roommate took Miranda’s remains to a home belonging to Brandes’ mother in Largo.
“Gress told detectives that, within hours of arriving at the Largo residence, he cut off Corsette’s
head and extremities using a chainsaw on a pole that was in the shed,” the warrant stated. “Gress told detectives that afterward, Brandes bagged it all up in white garbage bags.”
The remains were later taken to a dumpster in Ruskin, but St. Petersburg police said they would not be able to find Miranda’s remains.
“The dumpster was taken to a transfer station, and from the transfer station, those items were in fact taken to the incinerator,” Maj. Shannon Halstead said.
Despite not finding the remains, police have found other evidence that linked Miranda’s remains to the Largo home.
“Suspected biological material, which tested presumptive positive for the presence of blood and was consistent with human flesh, was located on the northside of the residence,” the warrant stated.
Other biological evidence included stains that tested presumptive positive for blood on the exterior of the Largo home, plastic wrap and blue tape in Gress’ vehicle that contained many hairs, and the presence of blood in Gress’ vehicle.
Both Gress and Brandes have been charged with first-degree murder and other charges in Miranda’s death.
