Content warning: This article contains sensitive imagery and extreme violence involving a minor.
St. Petersburg Police confirmed on March 7 that 16-year-old Miranda Corsette was kidnapped and dismembered, likely by a man who lured her to his home through a social media app. Unfortunately, this is not a unique scenario, with cases like Corsette’s popping up as online dating becomes more prevalent.
Corsette first interacted with 35-year-old Steven Gress online and met with him in person at his home on Feb. 14. She returned home following their first meeting but returned to Gress’s duplex the next day. She is believed to have stayed with Gress and his domestic partner, 37-year-old Michelle Brandes, until her death.
CBS News reported that running away from home wasn’t abnormal for Corsette, who lived with her grandmother. Despite being a known entity to the police, who had encountered her many times before, she wasn’t reported missing sooner due to her history of always returning home. It was also released that around Feb. 20, Corsette and Brandes may have gotten into an argument about missing jewelry in which Corsette was physically attacked.
St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway believes that the teen was tortured between Feb. 20 and 24. The St. Petersburg Police also think she was killed within the same period. They suggest that Gress then drove with Corsette’s body to a second location, which shows evidence indicating that she was likely dismembered.
Gress was arrested on March 5 for an unrelated offense but charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping due to his connections to the Corsette case. His partner Brandes turned herself in to the police two days later and was also charged with first-degree murder.
What happened to Corsette is what the U.S. Department of Justice calls “Cyber Homicide.” The phenomenon may also be called “internet homicide,” and social media itself has unfortunately become more relevant to homicide investigations. Internet homicide is slightly different from standard cases as it refers to situations where the victim and the aggressor meet online.
In 2023, the Pew Research Center found that three in every 10 adults in the United States had used a dating app or website. Of the people who responded to the survey, 53% of respondents between 18 and 29 confirmed that they had used such websites or apps. The app used by Corsette has remained unnamed, but sources describe it as a dating app.
Sadly, this is not a unique case, as eight separate deaths were linked to the same dating app.
The suspects are expected to face more charges, especially as the case is ongoing, but Holloway is determined to bring justice to Corsette.