The family of Christopher Horne Jr., accused of witness tampering in the murder case of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon Miller in Cape Coral, is speaking out after the charges against them were dropped by the state attorney.
"We kept telling them that we never threatened this lady, that we were innocent, and they never heard our side of the story. They just locked us up," Shanice Stewart said.
Shanice and Varaka Stewart, along with Christopher Horne Sr. , were accused of threatening Thomas Stein's mother to prevent her cooperation with police. Investigators alleged that the Horne family pressured Stein's mother at a park, with Stein's mother claiming they threatened her with a pistol.
Shanice Stewart refuted these claims, stating, "The conversation was good. Nothing ever went bad. She told us that we had nothing to worry about because her son pulled the trigger."
The Stewarts assert that Stein's mother fabricated her story, with Shanice Stewart saying, "She went down there. So many different statements. Lie, lie."
Shanice Stewart also claimed, "She played a full part of this story. So. She said I'm going to lie on this black family because they have a history." The sisters believe they were targeted due to their previous record, with Varaka Stewart acknowledging, "That's the past. You know, I it's I have the record, but I haven't been in trouble in a long time."
Now, over a year later, the Stewarts are calling for an apology and more. "We're really innocent. We've been saying this from the get-go. Okay, the Cape Coral Police Department did a horrible investigation. Horrible. They got one shot at a story, and they wouldn't come and talk to us," Shanice Stewart said.
The Stewarts plan to sue for damages related to their arrests and charges, claiming they have spent thousands on legal fees. "We're suing almost to paying for every missing work. I'll just slander my name. Every court date there. The news people there," Varaka Stewart said.
Shanice and Varaka Stewart also want charges brought against Jessica Stein for allegedly falsely accusing them.
Despite their ordeal, Varaka Stewart expressed sympathy for Kayla Rincon Miller's family, saying, "Justice for Kayla. My heart goes out to her family. Like, I, I just like I hope they get to the bottom of this."
DOWNLOAD
the free
Gulf Coast News app
for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.