FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — A jury was seated for the trial of Thomas Stein after a rocky start, and opening statements are now underway.
Stein is charged with the murder of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller in March 2024. The state told the freshly seated jury about the night Rincon-Miller was shot and killed on Southeast 16th Place in Cape Coral near Del Prado Boulevard and the Coralwood Mall after seeing a movie with her friends.
The state told the court that Stein approached Rincon-Miller, trying to rob her. They say that during a scuffle, the gun went off, and the boys were surprised.
The state also told the court Rincon-Miller’s friends tried to save her. Two years later, it’s still unclear who killed her.
Next, the court will hear from the defense about what they say happened that night.
Kayla Rincon-Miller. CREDIT: Rincon-Miller family
If Stein is found guilty of first-degree murder, he could face the rest of his life behind bars. Police said Stein is not the person who pulled the trigger.
The prosecutors and defense attorneys have to find people they feel will be fair and unbiased throughout this murder trial. That means asking dozens of people many questions, such as whether they know anything about the case. On Tuesday, 12 out of 13 people raised their hands and said they’d heard about this case through the media.
Jury selection has also been set back after the families of Stein and Christopher Horne Jr. were shouting at each other on Monday. Horne Jr. took a plea deal to testify against Stein.
Prosecutors said Horne Jr.’s family was talking about the case behind the jurors from the back of the courtroom on Monday. Judge Nicholas Thompson worried that potential jurors wouldn’t be impartial after hearing these conversations, so both the prosecution and defense teams asked that all of those potential jurors be dismissed.
Jury selection started all over again on Tuesday. Horne Jr.’s aunt and mother were not in the courtroom, but Stein’s family was.
By the end of the day, 14 potential jurors had been chosen. Jury selection continues with another new group of 50 people.
Court is back in session. Prosecutors said that if the final jury is chosen, they can begin calling witnesses as well. If that happens, the hope is that they will be able to wrap everything up by Friday.
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