Judge to sentence teen in Kayla Rincon-Miller murder after plea deal

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — Christopher Horne Jr., the teenager who took a plea deal in Kayla Rincon-Miller's homicide, will learn his fate Tuesday afternoon.

• RELATED: 15-year-old girl shot and killed during robbery turned homicide in Cape Coral

In 2024, Miller was shot and killed as she walked to a McDonald's with her friends. She was 15 years old.

Horne Jr. pleaded no contest to second-degree murder. As part of the deal, he had to testify against his co-defendant,  Thomas Stein.

In May, a jury convicted Stein of first-degree felony murder and three attempted robbery charges. He's scheduled to be sentenced in July.

Horne Jr. was originally indicted for first-degree homicide, just like his co-defendant. He could have faced life in prison, but instead he accepted a plea deal that reduced his charge and sentence.

Horne Jr. was one of the key witnesses in Stein's trial, saying Stein was the one who pulled the trigger and killed Rincon-Miller. During the trial, Horne Jr. said on the night of the homicide, the two boys were supposed to check for unlocked cars along Cape Coral Parkway and steal items inside, but their night went sideways. He testified that he looked back and in a quick second, Stein shot.

During Horne Jr.'s plea bargain in September, he addressed Rincon-Miller's family.

"I just want to say I'm sorry because you all lost your loved one," Horne Jr. said. "You're never gonna get them back, you know what I'm saying? I'm not a bad person. I just did some terrible things in my life, and I'm really sorry."

A judge is set to sentence Christopher Horne Jr. at 1:30 p.m. WINK News will bring updates both on air and online.