Christopher Horne Jr is a convicted teen killer from Florida who would plead guilty to the murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller
According to court documents Kayla Rincon-Miller was walking with friends after leaving a Bob Marley movie when a vehicle would suddenly block their path and Christopher Horne Jr and Thomas Stein would jump out the vehicle armed with a gun.
Thomas Stein would fatally shoot Kayla Rincon-Miller during the robbery attempt
Thomas Stein would later be arrested and convicted of Kayla Rincon-Miller murder
Christopher Horne Jr would be arrested, plead guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to twenty five years in prison
Thomas Stein will be sentenced in July where he is facing a life sentence
Christopher Horne Jr Case
A teen who pleaded guilty in the death of another teenager offered an apology in court on Tuesday as he was sentenced to prison.
Christopher Horne Jr. pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and three counts of attempted robbery in the death of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller as part of an agreement with prosecutors that saw him testify at his co-defendant’s trial.
Prosecutors said that Horne was with his friend, Thomas Stein, when the two decided to rob three girls they saw walking down the street. Rincon-Miller had just left a movie with her two friends, who testified at Stein’s trial that they were terrified when approached by the strange men.
“I have suffered so much mentally and physically since this night occurred,” Louann Dejaie, one of the victims, said at Tuesday’s sentencing hearing. “They wanted our money, but the only thing they took was her life.”
Judge Nicholas Thompson was forced to pause the proceedings at one point after he noticed several people reading a piece of paper and laughing in the gallery. He warned the group that outbursts would not be tolerated.
Horne spoke briefly at the hearing, offering an apology to the friends and family of the victims. “I’m not a monster. I feel like the demons I fought as a child played a part and impacted my future,” he said. “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.”
While under typical sentencing guidelines, Horne would have faced a minimum sentence of approximately 27 years, the agreement with prosecutors saw him sentenced to 25 years for second-degree murder. Fifteen-year sentences for each of the attempted robbery charges will be served concurrently to the murder charge. Because Horne is a juvenile, his sentence will be reviewed after 15 years
Prosecutors emphasized at Tuesday’s sentencing that the evidence showed Horne was a passenger in the car driven by Stein and not the person who pulled the trigger and killed Rincon-Miller. They argued at trial that Stein, the driver, had been the one to shoot the victim.
A jury convicted Stein of felony murder with a firearm and three counts of attempted robbery. His sentencing is scheduled for July 10; he could face up to life in prison.
Teen tells court ‘I’m not a monster’ at sentencing for 15-year-old’s murder | Court TV
Christopher Horne Jr News
Christopher Horne Jr., a teen who took a plea deal after being charged in the shooting death of Kayla Rincon-Miller in Cape Coral, was sentenced to 25 years in prison Tuesday.
Horne Jr., 18, one of two co-defendants in the case of Rincon-Miller’s killing, was sentenced after accepting a plea deal in September 2025.
Prior to his sentencing, Horne read a statement, apologizing to the victims’ families.
As a part of the sentencing, Horne was adjudicated guilty of second-degree murder, which constituted his 25-year sentence. He was also adjudicated guilty on three counts of attempted robbery, for which he was sentenced to 15 years, set to run concurrently with the 25-year sentence.
Horne is also not allowed to have contact with any of the victims’ families. His 763 days served will be credited to his sentence.
Horne Jr. pleaded no contest to charges of second-degree murder and attempted robbery with a firearm. As part of the plea deal, Horne was required to testify against his co-defendant, Thomas Stein.
Horne Jr. testified during Stein’s trial in May, which ended in a guilty verdict for Stein on charges of first-degree murder and attempted robbery with a firearm. Stein has requested a new trial.
Christopher Horne Jr. gets 25 years in prison after plea deal in Kayla Rincon-Miller’s murder
