An 18-year-old Florida man, who was sentenced to life, plus 45 years, had one emotional request for the judge.
“If I could just ask you one thing, if before I walk out of the courtroom, if I could give my family a hug, if you’d allow that?” Thomas Stein asked the judge, per CourtTV.
The request was denied.
“I can’t grant that request in here,” Judge Nick Thompson replied, per the report. You can say goodbye, but you can’t have any physical contact.”
Stein was convicted of felony murder with a firearm and three counts of attempted murder in the death of Kayla Rincon-Miller, who was shot to death on March 17, 2024.
According to the report, Stein stopped to speak briefly with his family before being led out of the courtroom to begin serving his sentence.
Stein also was sentenced to 15 years for each of the three counts of attempted robbery with a firearm. The sentences will run consecutively.
Stein was convicted in May following a jury trial in Fort Myers.
Per Gulf Coast News, Stein’s trial featured major twists, including when Stein’s co-defendant, Christopher Horne Jr., testified against him, claiming that he saw Stein do the shooting.
Stein requested a new trial after 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. The motion was denied.
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Mark Heim; al.com; (TNS) || ©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit al.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
