A teenager convicted in the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller addressed her family in court before learning he would spend the rest of his life in prison.
Thomas Stein appeared in court on July 10 for sentencing after being found guilty of first-degree felony murder with a firearm and three counts of attempted robbery with a firearm in connection with Rincon-Miller’s death.
Rincon-Miller was killed on March 17, 2024, after she was approached while walking with friends after a trip to the movies. Prosecutors said Stein and Christopher Horne Jr. targeted the group during the incident.
Stein has maintained that he did not know in advance that a robbery was going to happen, though he acknowledged being present and acting as the getaway driver.
He also claimed he was not the one who fired the fatal shot, saying his intention had been to steal from vehicles.
“I didn’t know that robbery was going to occur,” he said at his sentencing, adding: “But it was my reaction in fleeing that ultimately played a major role in assisting the perpetrators.”
Stein added: “I know that it wasn’t my intentions, but the truth is it doesn’t change the result. It doesn’t change the fact that there was a life taken and innocent people were forever traumatized because of that.”
During his statement, Stein also apologized to Rincon-Miller’s relatives and spoke about the harm caused to the victim’s friends, Emma Wright and Louann Dejaie, who were there that night.
“As I reflect on that night, I try to understand the damages and pains that were inflicted but the truth is, I don’t think I could approximate the damage that was done, or understand the totality of what everybody went through,” Stein said per Gulf Coast News Now. “That day, I made a terrible decision. The decision to get behind the wheel was a total act of selfishness, and something I regret and I’m ashamed of every day. “
REQUEST DENIED: A tearful Thomas Stein pleaded with the judge for permission to hug his family one last time before being taken into custody during a dramatic sentencing hearing.
Stein, who apologized for his involvement in the tragic death of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller,… pic.twitter.com/uVgY2UyvXb
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) July 10, 2026
He added: “I regret the fact that I would impact innocent people who never deserved to go through what they did. I regret the burden I placed on my family, who have always been there supporting me.
“I know me saying an apology will never fix or undo what happened, but regardless of that, I want to apologize for my actions that night.”
Judge Nick Thompson of Lee County ultimately handed Stein a life sentence for first-degree murder in the killing of Rincon-Miller.
According to the report, Thompson said Stein will be eligible for a review after 15 years of serving that sentence because he was 16 when the crime was committed. Stein was also ordered to serve three consecutive 15-year terms for attempted robbery with a firearm, each carrying a 10-year minimum mandatory sentence.
That means the court could revisit the life sentence after 15 years if Stein is found to have been rehabilitated.
Even if that happens, he would still be required to serve the separate robbery sentence, which totals 45 years.
Stein’s co-defendant, Christopher Horne Jr., was sentenced in May to 25 years in prison after pleading no contest to second-degree murder and attempted robbery with a firearm as part of a plea deal that required him to testify against Stein.