Chris Horne Jr. Sentenced in Kayla Rincon-Miller Murder

Christopher Horne Jr. was sentenced on May 19, 2026, to 25 years in prison for his role in the March 2024 killing of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller in Cape Coral, Florida. Horne, 16 at the time of the shooting, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and three counts of attempted robbery, and testified against co-defendant Thomas Stein, who a jury convicted of first-degree felony murder two weeks earlier.¹

The Sentence in Detail

Lee County Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson imposed 25 years on the second-degree murder count and 15 years on each of the three attempted robbery counts, with the robbery sentences running concurrently.¹ The court credited Horne with 763 days already served.²

Because Horne was a juvenile when the crime occurred, his sentence is subject to judicial review after 15 years under Florida law governing juvenile offenders sentenced as adults.³ As a condition of the sentence, Horne is barred from any contact with the victims or their families.¹

The Plea Deal That Reduced the Charge

Horne was originally indicted by a Lee County grand jury on first-degree murder and three counts of attempted robbery with possession of a firearm, the same charges brought against Stein.⁴ On September 19, 2025, he pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of second-degree murder, along with the three attempted robbery counts.⁵

The reduction came with a condition: Horne had to testify truthfully against Stein if the state called him at trial.¹ Because both teenagers were juveniles, neither was eligible for the death penalty, but a first-degree conviction carried a maximum sentence of life in prison.⁴

What Horne Said Happened That Night

On March 17, 2024, Rincon-Miller and two friends were walking from the Coralwood 10 movie theater to a McDonald’s on Del Prado Boulevard South when a silver Nissan Pathfinder pulled up, flashed its high beams, and stopped in front of them.⁶ Police said the girls were strangers to their attackers and had been picked at random.⁷ Stein, the driver, fired a single shot at close range that struck Rincon-Miller in the chest and killed her.⁵

When Stein went to trial in the spring of 2026, Horne took the stand on May 1, called by Stein’s defense rather than the prosecution. He testified that he and Stein had originally planned to break into cars near the theater. After they spotted the three girls, Horne said, Stein told him, “Let’s rob them.” Horne said he initially refused, but Stein drove around the block and they went through with it. He testified that the gun was already in the car when he got in, that he had told Stein to remove the bullets, and that Stein fired “in a quick second” after both of them jumped out of the vehicle. Horne said he screamed at Stein afterward and later threw the weapon into a river.⁸

Under cross-examination, Horne pushed back on the defense’s questions and told the court, “You’re trying to say I did it. I wouldn’t do nothing like that.”⁸

Statements at Sentencing

Before Judge Thompson imposed the sentence, Horne read a statement to the courtroom. “I’m not a monster,” he said. “I feel like the demons I fought as a child played a part and impacted my future. I just want to say to the family and the victims, I’m deeply sorry for the role I played in your loved one’s death.”³

Louann Dejaie, one of the friends walking with Rincon-Miller that night, also addressed the court. “I have suffered so much mentally and physically since this night occurred,” she said. “They wanted our money, but the only thing they took was her life.” Thompson paused the proceedings after seeing people in the gallery laughing and warned that outbursts would not be tolerated.³

Where Thomas Stein’s Case Stands

A jury convicted Stein on May 4, 2026, of first-degree felony murder and three counts of attempted robbery with a firearm after a four-day trial.⁹ Stein, then 18, testified in his own defense and denied pulling the trigger. The jury did not unanimously find that he personally discharged the firearm, but Florida’s felony murder doctrine allowed a first-degree conviction because the killing happened during the commission of a robbery. His sentencing is scheduled for July 10, 2026, and he faces up to life in prison.⁵

1
State Attorney’s Office, 20th Judicial Circuit. Defendant in Cape Coral Murder Case Sentenced
2
Gulf Coast News Now. Horne Sentenced in Kayla Rincon-Miller Murder
3
Court TV. Teen Tells Court “I’m Not a Monster” at Sentencing for 15-Year-Old’s Murder
4
State Attorney’s Office, 20th Judicial Circuit. Grand Jury Indicts Two Teenagers for First Degree Murder of Cape Coral Girl
5
Cape Coral Breeze. CCPD Chief: Justice Was Served for Kayla
6
Cape Coral Breeze. Arrest Made in Shooting Death of Cape Teen
7
News-Press. Cape Coral Shooting Murder: What We Know
8
Court TV. Reluctant Co-Defendant Testifies Against Thomas Stein
9
State Attorney’s Office, 20th Judicial Circuit. Conviction in First Degree Felony Murder Case