Thomas Stein trial: Key witnesses and major twists in the Kayla Rincon-Miller murder case

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

The jury has entered deliberation after closing arguments on the sixth day of the Thomas Stein murder trial for a teen accused of killing 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller in Cape Coral in 2024.

Jurors were given instructions to guide them as the case moves towards closing arguments.

The tragic murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller has been heavily in the news cycle on the Gulf Coast, with multiple twists in the case. Below is a timeline of events related to Kayla's death and the trial of the two teens arrested in connection with the shooting.

A teen is murdered

15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller and her friends had just finished seeing a movie at the Coralwood 10 movie theater in Cape Coral on the night of March 17, 2024. Shortly before 10 p.m., the trio of girls was walking to get food at the McDonald's at 1715 Del Prado Boulevard South.

The girls were walking in the area of East 20th Street and Southeast 16th Place when a van pulled up, blinding them with its headlights. A group then jumped out of the van and attempted to rob the girls, the Cape Coral Police Department said.

During the ensuing chaos, Kayla was shot. She was taken to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Detectives announced they were investigating the incident as a homicide, and immediately began searching for suspects.

First arrest made

On March 20, 2024, the first suspect in the case of Kayla's killing was arrested. Thomas Stein, 16 at the time, was charged with homicide while engaging in robbery at the time of his arrest.

In tandem with Stein's arrest, CCPD added, "We’ve also identified the vehicle involved in the shooting, a silver Nissan Pathfinder, which was rented by the suspect's mother."

Multiple law enforcement agencies swarmed the home where Stein lived on West Mariana Avenue, surrounding the house for hours. A search was conducted, and officers were seen carrying what appeared to be a rifle.

On April 10, the State Attorney's Office announced that Stein would be charged as an adult. More charges were added, including three counts of armed robbery, on top of the homicide charge.

Second suspect arrested

On April 17, 2024, a second suspect in the case was arrested. Christopher Horne Jr., who was 16 at the time of his arrest, was also charged with homicide while engaged in a robbery.

It was later announced that Horne Jr. would also be charged as an adult, and his charges were updated to include second-degree murder and three counts of attempted robbery.

Stein's mother speaks

Stein's mother, Jessica Stein, spoke with Gulf Coast News in the days following her son's arrest.

Jessica said she was with Thomas when he was arrested along Bayshore Road. Jessica said she had just picked Thomas up from work when police pulled her over in the middle of the median in front of Winn-Dixie with guns drawn.

After police searched the home, Jessica was informed of the situation.

"[A] detective came out and spoke with me and told me that my son has been investigated for the murder in Cape Coral,” Jessica said.

Jessica also told Gulf Coast News that she couldn't stop thinking about Rincon-Miller's family.

“My heart really goes out to the parents. No one deserves that and unfortunately, if my son was involved in this, then he has to pay for his crime, and whoever else was with him, hopefully will pay for the crime," Jessica said.

More details emerge, Horne's family is arrested

On May 10, 2024, shocking new details emerged as Horne's mother, father and aunt were arrested on charges of tampering with a witness after being accused of threatening Jessica Stein.

Jessica Stein claims that on March 18, the day after the murder, a white sedan came to her home. Inside the car were Shanice Stewart, 36 at the time, and Christopher Horne Sr., 39 at the time, the mother and father of Christopher Horne. Jr., CCPD said.

The pair told Jessica and Thomas to get in the car and follow them after Stewart admitted to Jessica that their sons were involved in the murder, CCPD said.

Jessica and Thomas followed the car to Cape Coral in the Gator Circle area, the report said.

Jessica stated in the report that she was scared for her life and had a "sinking feeling" that she and her son would be killed.

When they arrived at the park, Jessica said they were surrounded by other people. She reported being threatened to keep quiet and not cooperate with law enforcement.

Varaka Stewart, 38 at the time, the aunt of Christopher Horne Jr., and Horne Sr., who was reportedly brandishing a pistol, repeatedly threatened Jessica and Thomas, saying they would be killed if they did not comply and stay silent, the report said.

The next day, on March 19, Thomas was arrested. Jessica said that Shanice and Varaka drove to her home and promised her money to remain silent and keep Thomas quiet.

Between March 25 and April 17, Jessica said she received numerous phone calls. During the calls, the woman believed to be Shanice pleaded with Jessica not to cooperate with law enforcement and said Thomas did the same.

According to the report, the caller threatened Jessica, saying she had people on the inside and the outside who could get to her family. During one call, the caller thanked Jessica for protecting her "baby."

On April 17, Christopher Horne Jr. was arrested. Later that day, Jessica received a call from the previous caller, saying, "They got my son," and that she was "not playing games."

Varaka Stewart, Shanice, and Christopher Horne Sr. were charged with one felony count each of threatening, tampering with, or coercing a witness. Shanice also received a charge of obstruction of justice.

Charges against Horne's family dropped

In May 2025, the charges against Varaka, Shanice Stewart and Christopher Horne Sr. 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.

The Stewarts asserted that Jessica Stein had fabricated the story.

"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," Shanice Stewart said.

Varaka Stewart also shared her thoughts on the case, expressing her sympathy for Kayla Rincon-Miller's family.

"Justice for Kayla," Varaka said. "My heart goes out to her family. Like, I just like I hope they get to the bottom of this."

Horne pleads no contest, agrees to testify against Stein

In September 2025, Christopher Horne Jr. pleaded no contest to charges of second-degree murder and attempted robbery with a firearm.

Horne admitted to possessing a firearm during the crime.

In exchange for a reduced sentence, Horne agreed to testify against Stein.

Under the terms of the plea, Horne was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison. However, prosecutors said if Horne failed to testify truthfully against Stein, he could face life in prison.

In the courtroom, Horne told the judge he was truly sorry for what he put Kayla's family through. Members of Horne's family cried while Rincon-Miller’s mother walked out of the courtroom.

Stein's trial gets off to a chaotic start

On April 27, 2026, Thomas Stein's trial was set to begin with jury selection, but was thrust into chaos after all potential jury members were dismissed following a hallway dispute between the Stein and Horne families.

Stein's and Horne's families got into a verbal altercation in the hallway of the courthouse during the lunch break. When the potential jurors returned to the courtroom, the judge asked them if they had seen or heard the dispute.

The judge met with the prosecution and defense, and every potential juror was dismissed. The jury selection process restarted the next day.

Stein trial: Witnesses take the stand

On April 30, 2026, the two friends who were with Kayla Rincon-Miller on the night of her death took to the witness stand to recount the chaotic moments that led to the shooting.

Louann Dejaie, 18, said that in the aftermath of hearing a shot fired during the attempted robbery, she saw Kayla lower herself onto the ground and exclaim that she had been shot. Dejaie said she then tried to call 911, but her hands were "shaking so bad."

Jessica Stein later took the stand and was visibly upset as she identified her son to the jury.

Jessica was asked if she owned a Glock 27, which Thomas was photographed with. Jessica said she believed she owned one and that it was obtained legally.

Jessica denied that her son ever confessed to killing Rincon-Miller.

On May 1, 2026, Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Noelia Alamar Hernandez testified about the autopsy. She said Kayla died from complications of a gunshot wound and described the wound as a close-range shot, saying the muzzle of the firearm had to be about 2 to 3 centimeters away, according to court notes.

Stein trial: Horne takes the stand, Stein shifts blame

In one of the most pivotal moments of the trial, Christopher Horne Jr., now 18, took to the witness stand to testify against his co-defendant, Thomas Stein, on May 1, 2026.

Horne stated that he and Stein planned to rob people on the fateful night of Kayla's death. He said the original plan was to rob people at a bank, but that changed when they saw Kayla and her friends walking.

Horne told jurors that during the attempted robbery, he looked back and saw Stein shoot Kayla. He also said he later threw his phone into the Caloosahatchee River because he knew it would be linked to the crime scene, and that the gun ended up in a river.

Horne acknowledged he had lied to law enforcement before and testified under a plea deal that could reduce his prison sentence. He said he confessed and agreed to testify truthfully.

After Horne's testimony was complete, Stein, now 18, was called to the stand and denied shooting Kayla.

“Did you shoot Kayla Rincon-Miller?” his attorney asked. “No, sir,” Stein replied.

Stein testified that more people were involved that night than Horne claimed. He said Horne had a mask and that other people, including people he identified as “JD” and “Trey,” were also there after being picked up near a church.

Stein said he ran up to try to break things up before the gun fired.

“I tried to separate them, and then before I know it the gun went off,” Stein testified, according to court notes.

A heated point of contention in the trial remains the number of people involved in the attempted robbery that night.

Remembering Kayla

In March 2026, the family of Kayla launched "Kayla's House" in an attempt to combat gun violence and prevent future tragedies.

Cape Coral community members gathered for The Power of Us event, aimed at educating kids and teens against gun violence. The event featured panels, speeches, and a butterfly release, hosted by Crime Stoppers and Kayla's House.

Trish Routte from Southwest Florida Crimestoppers said, "Kayla's House is all about doing everything that we can to educate parents and kids."

Kayla's family helped organize the event in hopes that it would help other families avoid the pain and loss they endured because of gun violence.

Sharmine López, Kayla's cousin, said, "Our hope is that all those people who are involved come to justice."

Kayla's mother, Luz Rincon, finds hope in community support following her daughter's death.

"I still remember the smile. Even in my darkest days," Rincon said.

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