Thomas Stein Murder Trial: Stein takes the stand, begins to testify

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—Thomas Stein, charged with killing 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller, has agreed to testify in his own defense.

When the court resumed after lunch, the judge asked Stein whether he had decided to testify. Stein tearfully answered yes.

Christopher Horne Jr., Stein's co-defendant who took a plea deal and agreed to testify against him, took the stand. Horne told the court that two people were in the car that night and that they were going to rob cars on Cape Coral Parkway when things went wrong.

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"We were supposed to go hit cars on Cape Coral Parkway, but it all turned left," Horne said.

Horne testified he got rid of his phone the next day in the Caloosahatchee River. He also testified that Stein is the person who shot Rincon-Miller.

Horne told the court it was Stein's idea to rob Rincon-Miller and the girls. However, the defense pointed out that Horne, not Stein, was wearing a mask.

"I went to Emma Wright, and I looked back, and he shot," Horne said.

At 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Stein took to the stand, fighting for his freedom from a potential life sentence. WINK News has been following this case since Rincon-Miller was killed two years ago in Cape Coral.

Stay tuned to WINKNews.com, WINK News App, streaming, and on-air for any new developments on this story.