State prosecutors revealed Thursday that the parents and aunt of Christopher Horne, 16, face tampering charges.
Tomas RodriguezFort Myers News-Press
The second teenager arrested in connection with the murder of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller will be held without bond while his parents and aunt face charges for tampering with evidence.
Christopher Horne, 16, of Cape Coral, who faces one count of principal to second-degree murder and three counts of principal to attempted armed robbery, waved at relatives sitting in court after Lee Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson on Thursday ruled he'll be held without bond.
Samantha Syoen, spokesperson for the State Attorney's Office, said state prosecutors direct filed the case on Friday against Horne, charging him as an adult. The case against Horne moved then from juvenile to adult court, and officials served Horne with the warrant Monday.
The warrant, issued and signed by Lee Circuit Judge Margaret Steinbeck, charges Horne with four counts.
State prosecutors called Cape Coral police Detective Michael Lasalandra to testify. He's the same detective that testified at the pretrial detention hearing for the other arrested co-defendant in Rincon-Miller's slaying, Thomas Stein, 16.
Assistant State Attorneys Sara Miller and Andreas Gardiner, both of the State Attorney's Office's Homicide Unit, are prosecuting the case.
As Miller asked Lasalandra questions about police's investigation, the detective testified Horne and Stein communicated electronically the day of the murder.
Lasalandra, who's been a detective at Cape Coral police's Violent Crimes Unit for four years, said he was working March 17 and responded to the shooting of Rincon-Miller at the intersection of Southeast 20th Street and Southeast 16th Lane. He said other law enforcement were already on scene when he arrived, but he led the investigation.
Lasalandra said he spoke with two witnesses who were with Rincon-Miller, and they gave descriptions of the people who robbed them. He said one of the witnesses identified Thomas Stein, adding that Horne was later connected to the case. The News-Press does not typically name minors, but made the exception because of the severity of the charges and the assignment to adult court.
Kayla Rincon-Miller murder: Thomas Stein to be held without bond in March murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller, judge says
Lasalandra revealed that surveillance footage captured the car, but not the murder.
The detective said the minors spent three minutes driving around Merchants Crossing, a shopping center in North Fort Myers, prior to the Cape Coral shooting.
Lasalandra said Thomas Stein's mother, Jessica Stein, indicated an individual known as "Bubba" was with her son the day of the murder.
The detective said Horne was wearing a ski mask, armed with a pistol, according to a witness who claimed a social media post showed Horne made a comment indicating he wanted to commit a robbery. Lasalandra said in the video Horne was wearing a red sweatshirt and a black ski mask.
Lasalandra testified Horne arrived at his father's home around midnight, hours after the murder.
Tampering, threatening witnesses
Lasalandra testified people were tampering, trying to get Jessica Stein not to cooperate, threatening to kill one of her other children. The detective said Horne's parents and aunt face charges.
The father's and aunt's names weren't released in court. The mother is Shanice Duanna Stewart, 36, of Cape Coral. Stewart is due in court June 3 and remained in custody without bond set Thursday afternoon.
The detective said Stewart was taken into custody Thursday.
After the murder, the family fled the home, leading authorities on a three-week search, Lasalandra said. He added the family confronted police over surveillance of Horne.
Witnesses saw Christopher Horne armed
Lasalandra testified witnesses reported seeing between four and five individuals in the SUV, all armed with firearms. The detective said the investigation also found a firearm was missing from Thomas Stein's home.
Based on witness accounts, everyone in the SUV had firearms, Lasalandra emphasized.
State asks for no bond for Christopher Horne
"He doesn't have a support system that's cooperative with law enforcement," Miller said, alluding to Horne's parents.
Miller added that Horne missed school and other activities for about a month.
Defense asks detective about Christopher Horne's role the night of the murder
Horne's attorney, Matthew Heider, confirmed with Lasalandra two or three other individuals remain under investigation. Lasalandra refused to elaborate, citing an active investigation.
While he testified, Lasalandra said he believed Horne wasn't one of the two individuals who approached the victims when they exited the vehicle.
Lasalandra had indicated the SUV and another vehicle parked at a church and everyone got into the same SUV, rented by Jessica Stein.
While Heider questioned Lasalandra, Horne stared back as people entered and exited the courtroom. A deputy bailiff stood behind him throughout the hearing.
Horne occasionally put his head back, moving repeatedly from left to right.
Lasalandra testified to Heider nobody identified Horne in a photo lineup, compared to Thomas Stein. The detective said the ski mask was an obstacle.
"It would be a miscarriage to hold the actions of his parents against him," Heider said, asking Thompson to set bond for Horne.
It took Thompson about three minutes to review case files to apply the law and determine Horne would be held without bond.
No contact between co-defendants
Miller on Tuesday asked the court to issue a no-contact order between Horne and Stein, citing "safety concerns housing them together."
Horne's arraignment is set Monday, although Heider filed a written plea of not guilty on the minor's behalf Tuesday. He wasarrested March 17 by Cape Coral policeand was held in juvenile detention for 21 days.
Meanwhile, Stein's casemoved to adult courtApril 11.
During an April 11 hearing, after hearing Lasalandra's testimony, Lee Circuit Judge Robert Branning ruled that Stein be held without bond.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads@tomasfrobeltran, Instagram@tomasfrobeltranand Facebook@tomasrodrigueznews.
