Carson Zorn
•7/10/2026
Thomas Stein, who was found guilty of the murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday.
Stein was found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted armed robbery in the death of Rincon-Miller in May. Kayla was shot and killed along a Cape Coral street during an attempted robbery in 2024.
Stein's trial featured major twists, with one of the defining moments coming when Stein's co-defendant, Christopher Horne Jr., testified against him, claiming that he saw Stein shoot Kayla.
Stein requested a new trial following the guilty verdict, claiming that a deposition from one of the victim's friends did not align with her trial testimony about who shot Rincon-Miller. His motion for a new trial was denied.
The above timeline highlights key moments in the case and the aftermath of the shooting death of Kayla.
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.
[image id='37e5fc3e-f985-4b3a-89dc-d8c5af873203' mediaId='93d12c92-29c6-4c43-a2f2-6777fdd28921' align='center' size='medium' share='true' caption='Kayla Rincon-Miller' expand='' crop='original'][/image]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.
Horne testified that he and Stein planned to rob people the night of Rincon-Miller'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.
“I attempted to rob people,” Horne said in his testimony.
Horne told jurors 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 the 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.
Stein later took the stand in his own defense 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 knew it, the gun went off,” Stein testified, according to court notes.
That testimony expanded on what jurors heard earlier in the trial.
During witness testimony, Kayla’s friends Emma Wright, 19, and Louann Dejaie, 18, testified about the moments before the shooting. Both said they had seen a movie with Kayla and were walking to get food when an SUV began following them.
They testified that a group got out of the SUV and tried to rob them before shots were fired. Dejaie said Kayla lowered herself to the ground and said she had been shot.
Stein's trial began on April 27, but was thrust into chaos as all potential jury members were dismissed after a verbal altercation between Stein and Horne's families occurred in the hallway of the courthouse during the lunch break.
When the potential jurors returned to the courtroom, the judge asked them if any of them had heard the commotion. The judge met with the prosecution and defense, and every potential juror was dismissed. The jury selection process restarted the next day.
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.
