Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - BREAKING VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY LOADING TEEN'S BODY, LURED ONLINE

Episode Date: April 2, 2025

When Miranda Corsette loses both parents, she moves in with her grandmother in Gulfport, Florida. Her grandmother is pleased to see the teen preparing for a Valentine’s Day date. Afterward, Mira...nda’s mood suggests she had a great time. Unbeknownst to her grandmother, Miranda did not meet another teenager but instead spent the evening with 37-year-old Steven Gress.   At 3:41 a.m. the next day, Miranda quietly leaves home and takes an Uber to Gress’ residence, which he shares with 35-year-old Michelle Brandes. Neighbors and police know the couple for frequent heated arguments that often escalate into violence. St. Petersburg police have responded to their duplex seven times this year.   Miranda spends several days with the couple while ignoring worried texts from family. Nine days later, on February 24, her grandmother reports her missing. Family members turn to social media, saying Miranda was last seen getting into an Uber early on February 15. Loved ones say it is unlike her to go so long without contact.   On February 25, St. Petersburg police respond to another welfare check requested by Gress and Brandes’ upstairs neighbor. When officers arrive, neither Gress nor Brandes is home. Their landlord provides police with Gress’ phone number, and over the phone, Gress grants permission for them to enter. Officers find nothing unusual inside.   Where is Miranda Corsette? Joining Nancy Grace today: Andrea Lewis - Partner at Searcy Law, Former Felony Prosecutor at Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office - where Epstein was prosecuted, President of the Palm Beach County Bar Association Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker: When to work on a relationship and when to walk away;” Also featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock ; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive Robert Crispin - Private Investigator at Crispin Special Investigations, Former Federal Task Force Officer for the United States Department of Justice, DEA and Miami Field Division. Former Homicide and Crimes Against Children Investigator; Facebook: Crispin Special Investigations Inc. Adrienne - Lived next door to suspects Steven Gress and Michele Brandes Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner, Tarrant County, TX; NEW Podcast: "Mayhem in the Morgue" --- launching on April 7th; Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU Susan Hendricks - Journalist, Author of “Down the Hill: My Descent into the Double Murder in Delphi;" IG @susan_hendricks X @SusanHendicks Sydney Sumner - CrimeOnline Investigative Reporter  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an I Heart Podcast. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. According to police, missing Miranda, just 16 years old, just turned 16, has been dismembered after being lured by a social media fiend. Breaking tonight, we have obtained video of the suspect allegedly transporting this child's body to dispose of it. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories.
Starting point is 00:00:43 Thank you for being with us. A young Florida teen disappears on Valentine's Day after an alleged date with a mystery man from a dating app. A mystery man on a dating app. The girl just turned 16. I'll get into that later. But right now, straight out to the scene, joining me, Robert Crispin, private investigator, founder of Crispin Special Investigations, former federal task force officer for the U.S. Department of Justice, DEA, Miami Field Division, former homicide and former crimes against children investigator. Robert, thank you for being with us.
Starting point is 00:01:22 Tell me what you have learned. So, Nancy, I'm actually coming to you from 2708 27th Avenue North in St. Petersburg. The house behind me is the house where police believe that Miranda Corsette was kidnapped and brutally murdered back in February. That door right there was the gray door on the bottom was the last door that police believed that Miranda walked through before she died during that time frame. Joining me, an all-star panel to make sense of what we are learning right now, but straight out to Robert Crispin. Robert, this is what I need to understand. Let me see that house behind you again. I mean, we're looking at a beautiful neighborhood, tree line, gorgeous lawns, everything kept in order.
Starting point is 00:02:08 How did this happen? I want to hear about the structure, who lived there. What more do you know? Have you been inside, Robert? So, yeah, so I actually had just come outside from the landlord or the owner who owns it, who gave me a tour of the inside. And it's a great neighborhood. It's in St. Pete, Florida. Everyone's got manicured lawns, great residents. I've talked to a few, but the people that lived in this house were anything
Starting point is 00:02:39 but nice. Robert Crispin, I want to go through the photos that you got from inside the structure. Let's see those New York control room. Now, even though this is in a lovely neighborhood, this is what we find inside. Robert Crispin just getting us inside in the last hours. Now, right now, it looks like everything has been cleaned out. I notice bleach and cleaning materials everywhere. But look at this. Is this the last thing this little teen girl saw before her death? I mean, look at this place. You'd have no idea from the outside what's going on behind closed doors?
Starting point is 00:03:25 According to police, this child, just turned 16, was lured by a much older man in his late 30s where she was tortured for days, murdered, and then dismembered inside this home. Robert, you have also obtained video allegedly showing this online sicko that, according to police, lured this teen girl, the 16-year-old girl, possibly beginning the luring when she was 15. I want to see the video that Robert Crispin obtained. Let's roll it. You are seeing an adult male that we believe to be the defendant going out with this child's body brazenly front yard putting the body of a little girl just turned 16 into his vehicle. I believe the trunk is still up there. He is getting everything just right, making sure it's all hidden. Looks like the child is in a blanket. Now, obviously having no concern, someone could see him,
Starting point is 00:04:58 but according to Robert Crispin, this surveillance was obtained through a neighbor's home surveillance system, RingCam, allegedly showing the defendant, the suspect. And he's not even in a rush, Crispin. Yeah, so that footage was obtained from that camera right up there on the second floor in that middle window looking straight down at the driveway. The suspect's door is down below. The second floor is another resident. So it's a duplex up and down. Our suspect lived on the bottom floor. But that ring camera right there is the one that captured all that footage.
Starting point is 00:05:43 That's the ring camera that captured Miranda here on the 14th. That's the ring camera that caught Miranda here on the 15th. That's the ring camera that caught both Michelle and Stephen coming and going from the house here. That is epic evidence, an epic video. Crispin, explain to me what I'm seeing on the additional video. It looks like a female walking down the front walk to the home. When was this and what is it? Right. So this video was actually obtained. It shows on the 17th of February that a neighbor came over and was conversing with Steve at the front door. And you can hear the audio and they're clearly having a conversation and you hear Miranda's name and then she turns and walks away. It's later learned after that what the neighbor saw was Miranda in the corner,
Starting point is 00:06:42 curled up in a ball, crying. And it's believed to be, in the photos that I sent you from inside the crime scene, where the mop is leaning against the wall, is where the neighbor potentially saw Miranda curled up in a ball, crying, while standing at the front door. And that's a shot that's just to the left of the front door. Police believe, according to sources out here, that Miranda was killed on a bed that was inside that main room, just inside that front door to the left. Hence why you see all that latent fingerprint dust all over inside that crime scene. All those black marks, that's all latent fingerprint dust. Let's take a listen and see if we can hear on the audio what Robert Crispin is describing. Hell, just not.
Starting point is 00:07:29 You ain't be afraid of that. Hell, it's your packet? Oh, it's probably still here. You got a packet right on your nose. The heat in this. Oh, okay. Crispin, I think I hear what you're describing. Now, the neighbor across the street, catty corner neighbor, comes over, according to what we are learning, is conversing with Steve Griss, age 37, that police believe lured this teen girl, possibly starting at age 15, online
Starting point is 00:08:08 along with his live-in, Michelle Brandes, age 35. They're a pair straight out of hell. We learn the neighbor walks over and is talking to them. Here's the girl crying, not realizing what's going on, and turns around and goes back home. Is that your understanding, Crispin? Yeah, that's my understanding. I think the video speaks for itself. You know, it's what we learned after this horrific event of what she actually saw on that video that day. Guys, I want to go through again
Starting point is 00:08:46 the photos that we saw inside the home. You heard Crispin describing the fingerprint dust. Look carefully at the walls around the door entry, around the light switches. Let's see the pictures. Crispin, describe the fingerprint dust all over the walls. Explain what that is. So that's the latent fingerprint dust that's going to pick up the oils on your skin. It's kind of like any crime scene that you go to. The perpetrator either takes something, i.e. something he steals, or he leaves something, i.e. his fingerprints or the oil on his fingerprints that stays on the wall. And this latent print dust allows a technician to go in and dust it finally with a little
Starting point is 00:09:32 ball. Pull the cam. There we're seeing the mop against the wall. What is the significance of that, Robert Crispin? So according to my sources out here, this is where we believe the neighbor actually, while standing at the front door, saw Miranda curled in a ball crying in that corner before she walked back over to her house. It's overwhelming that this little girl just turned 16, just 16, spent her last hours, according to police, in this hell hole being held against her will by suspect Stephen Gress, age 37, and his henchperson, his Beelzebub straight out of hell, Michelle Brandes.
Starting point is 00:10:26 Of course, they're innocent until proven guilty. These are just allegations. If you don't mind, Robert, I'd like to look at the video with you one more time, not of the neighbor, but of the suspect carrying out what we believe to be this little girl's body. Miranda Corsette just turned 16 years old. Yeah, I mean, that's some pretty compelling video right there. Allegedly, that's Miranda and she's going in the trunk of that car. And that kind of fits with the story of where Miranda was then transported
Starting point is 00:11:05 over to another location where she was dismembered and then put into a dumpster close by in a town called Largo, Florida. Robert, what do police believe was her mode of death? The cause of death from what we're learning from law enforcement is asphyxiation. Asphyxiation how? By wrapping Miranda's face in cellophane tape and cellophane wrap, thus not allowing her to breathe life into her little body anymore. Stephen Griss, nearly 40 years old after having allegedly lured a teen girl online, asphyxiating her in the cruelest way, taking her lifeless body to his vehicle and putting it in his trunk. You don't think this is going to be state's exhibit number one? Where was his lover, Michelle Brandis? What, looking out the window, cleaning up the scene. We don't know yet. Both of these are allegations. All of this allegations. These are just suspects right now,
Starting point is 00:12:11 but I tell you what, if NASA can do it, so can the St. Pete PD blowing this up and lightening it up to get a look at the face on this guy. I mean, this is state's exhibit number one. Now, isn't it true, Robert Crispin, that this girl allegedly died not just by asphyxiation, but by having a pool ball, a cue ball, a billiard ball forced into her mouth, forced into her mouth. Think about that. A pool ball, an eight ball in her mouth, all the way in her mouth. Then her face wrapped with cellophane And she gagged and died that way. Isn't that the allegation, Crispin? That is the allegation.
Starting point is 00:13:10 That is what has been purported by law enforcement. And what a horrible, horrible way to die for a 16-year-old beautiful little girl. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Breaking tonight in the disappearance and we believe the murder of a little girl just turned 16, Miranda Corsette. We have just obtained as we go to air, stunning video evidence. Here, we believe the defendant, the suspect, Stephen Kress, age 37, carrying the body wrapped in material of a 16-year-old little girl, Miranda Corsette, to his vehicle, placing her in the trunk, slamming the trunk. I guarantee you that canines, cadaver dogs are being brought out for hits on the trunk as we go to air to determine if in fact what we see in this video is a human body. In a few moments, we'll show you video we have obtained of the co-defendant,
Starting point is 00:14:38 Gress's live-in, Michelle Brandes, age 35, hopping in the car like they're going to McDonald's and off they go with a body in the trunk, a body of a teen girl. I've got a teen girl and a teen boy. When I look at this, I feel sick. I want to reach into this camera and grab him by the neck. And his girlfriend too. All of these are allegations at this juncture. They are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of their peers. But if this allegation is true, I don't know where you're going to find a jury of their peers unless you go straight to hell to get them. Joining me in all-star panel, in addition
Starting point is 00:15:31 to Robert Crispin, joining us at the scene, who has canvassed the neighborhood, gone inside the home and found where we believe this little girl spent her last hours curled up in a ball, crying in the corner. Now, the inside of that home covered in black, it looks like soot, is fingerprint powder to pick up every trace of the victim. Overwhelming. Again, joining me in addition to Robert Crispin at the scene with Crispin's Special Investigations, an all-star panel. First of all, this is where it all starts. Listen. Miranda Corsette is known to her family as a spunky tomboy, taking karate to keep up with her older brother David.
Starting point is 00:16:19 When Miranda tragically loses both of her parents, she moves in with her grandmother in Gulfport, Florida. Miranda's grandmother is happy to see the teen getting ready for a Valentine's date. Miranda is excited to go out after the date drops Miranda off. Her mood leads her grandmother to believe Miranda had a great time. Just imagine what this child has already gone through. Joining me in All-Star panel, but first, straight out to high-profile psychoanalyst Dr. Bethany Marshall, joining us from LA, author of Deal Breakers. And you can see her now on Peacock. She's at drbethanymarshall.com. Bethany, this is exactly the kind of child that predators prey upon. She suddenly as a teen girl loses both her parents at once, moves in with
Starting point is 00:17:08 grandma, looking for love, looking for acceptance. And she finds it online, not really understanding at first that she's communicating with a 37 year old man living with the witch from hell. She had no idea when she first started communicating online and was lured. Nancy, she is the perfect victim for somebody like this. And if this alleged crime is true, I think what happened is there's this lovely grandmother. She's taking care of the grandchild. That's true of so many grandparents in the United States when their grandchildren lose the parents. And so she's taking care of this grandchild and she's thrilled that the grandchild is going out on a date. And what that tells me is that the perpetrator was grooming her, that this little girl was
Starting point is 00:18:01 thrilled to be going out and getting the kind of attention that she was about to get, which tells me too, that he was probably showering her with attention online and maybe even pretending he was somebody that he wasn't. When I hear Dr. Bethany talking about this child seeking acceptance online and finding it, we believe, with 37-year-old Stephen Gress, is very upsetting. And she's right. She's right to Tonya Jordan, Chief Parent Officer, BART Parental Controls, author of Parenting in a Tech World. This child probably had no idea at first who she's communicating with. You're absolutely right. And that's why we lean in so hard to helping parents to get alerts when predators are contacting their children. No idea at the get go. And we hear to Susan Hendricks
Starting point is 00:18:51 joining us, journalist, author of Down the Hill, My Descendant to the Double Murder in Delphi. Susan Hendricks, the reality is that when the child first starts communicating online and our children are on their phones, on social media all the time, we don't know who they're communicating with. And it breaks my heart for the grandmama to say that she was happy that Miranda had a little date for Valentine's unbeknownst to her, it was with this freak. Absolutely. And they're so good at it, Nancy. Luring these girls in.
Starting point is 00:19:30 I have a 15-year-old daughter as well. It's terrifying. The chief of police, St. Petersburg, said in a press conference when he said, let's take a pause here. Parents, try to know what your kids are doing online. This is a warning. This guy, if it's him, Stephen, was good at it. And look at the result.
Starting point is 00:19:48 Absolutely terrifying. You know, I'm looking at this, and I just can't help but think of my children and the callous way this child is being loaded into a trunk. Joining me now, she is going by Adrian, lived next door to the suspects, Stephen Gores and Michelle Brandes. Adrian, this has got to send chills down your spine because Adrian, it's my understanding that on more than one occasion, he harassed you as well. Yeah. Yep. So, um, I wasn't there for very long. Um, I was warned about him when I moved in by my lovely neighbor who lived upstairs from him,
Starting point is 00:20:35 not the current one, but the previous one. Um, so I was warned and, um, you know, I kind of minded my own business. Uh, I kept my wits about me. What was the warning? I'm curious, Adrian. What was the warning about him? What were you told? So I was told that he had a very in-depth criminal past. He had been in jail and he was just not not a good person. So, yeah, that kind of, you know, set off some alarms with me.
Starting point is 00:21:04 And, you know, he was respectful towards with me. Um, and you know, he was respectful towards me until he wasn't. What happened? So I had accidentally backed into a car when I first moved in. And so I left my name and my number on the car saying, Hey, I live right here. Give me a call. We can figure it out. I hit your car. So instead of the driver of the vehicle reaching out to me, Steve took my number off of the vehicle and proceeded to text me with very explicit, unsolicited sexual advances. And that was, you know, the beginning of everything. And when I declined those advances and told him to leave me alone and never contact me again. He did not listen.
Starting point is 00:21:49 And he continued to come to my house at midnight to deliver mail to me that was in his box. And instead of just putting it in my box, he would knock on my door and kind of, you know, look around and wanted to talk to me. So he did that a couple of times before I even, you know, look around and wanted to talk to me. So he did that a couple of times before I even, you know, had the issue with the car. So he continued to harass me and come to my property when I had asked him not to. And I told him if, you know, if he did it again, if he didn't stay away from me, that I'd be getting the police involved. And he didn't like that very much, responded with a pretty nasty text message back to me, and I decided it was time to call the police, and they had responded very well to my call.
Starting point is 00:22:33 Do you understand, Adrienne? I don't know if you let yourself think about this. That could be you wrapped in that blanket. I know. In that trunk. Absolutely, and we had gotten in multiple altercations after I had called the police as well. So that was not an isolated event. He had actually, you know, after the police came and they went over and kind of put the fear of God in him and told him to leave me alone. And, you know, so we had some beef after that. And, um, he actually,
Starting point is 00:23:06 I was helping his neighbor move out one day, um, while he was not home and they shared a driveway. So I was helping her move out because of him. She also had to move out because of him. I was helping her move and he pulled back into the driveway and started screaming at me, uh, screaming obscenities, you know, kind of getting in my face. And I had to remove myself from that. So, yeah, I think about that all the time. It could have absolutely been me for sure. Adrian, you actually asked the question, quote, do I have to either be physically assaulted or die in order for this guy to have a single consequence for his actions? That's correct. Is that how you felt at the time? Yes. Yes. Because when I had called the
Starting point is 00:23:52 police, they were wonderful, by the way. They really listened to me and they urged me to get down to the police station to file an emergency restraining order against him because they knew how dangerous he was. So I did that. I filed all the appropriate paperwork. And shortly after that, I was denied the restraining order. And that is when I was, you know, getting very fearful for my life because of that denial. Why were you denied a restraining order on this guy? The reason was that the courts decided that they could not get neighbors to get along with each other. It was not their responsibility to make us get along. Do you remember the judge that did that? I do. Who? What judge? I won't be sharing any names. You're going to make me go look it up in the court
Starting point is 00:24:44 records. I'm happy to. It's public record. You can find it. Don't worry. I'll find it. Adrienne, when you learned about the current allegations against your former neighbor, Steven Griss, what went through your mind? I was sick to my stomach because I knew how dangerous this man was.
Starting point is 00:25:02 And I tried my best to get him out of that house, you know, and I'm not the first woman who has broken their lease to get away from that man. But, um, apparently I am the first woman who called and reported him for it. So, you know, I really wanted to come on the show today to just, my purpose is to encourage women who are going through something like this, if they're being harassed, if they're being assaulted, anything like that. I know that we just want to get out of the situation as quickly as possible and not worry about it, but it's so important to look after one another. And it's so important to report it because not only are you looking after yourself, but you're looking after the women who will be victims after you, because there will be victims after you. In addition to the video of who we believe is the defendant, Stephen Griss,
Starting point is 00:25:56 age 37, carrying the lifeless body of this teen girl to his trunk. We now have video of the little girl just before her death, walking around. That's Miranda on the right, walking around in the front yard of the home, unbeknownst to her, what is going to come. Robert Crispin, let's stay on the video because at some juncture we see her really well by blowing it up. Here we go. And I guarantee you prosecutors will have this blown up and refined. Little does she know what will befall her. Robert Crispin, explain what we're seeing and where did it come from? So again, comes from that same ring camera right up there on the second
Starting point is 00:26:53 floor from the resident who was upstairs. These are images of Miranda walking around days before she's brutally kidnapped and murdered by her captors. These are some of the last images that anyone will ever see of her alive ever again. You know what's disturbing to me, to Sidney Sumner joining us, Crime Stories investigative reporter, is that somehow this child, who we believe was dismembered,
Starting point is 00:27:24 and we have reason to say that, and either thrown in a dump or possibly even incinerated. Somehow, Sidney Sumner, much is being made of this child, just turned 16, going to meet with a Valentine date. She had no idea what was about to befall her. Have you noticed that, Sydney? Nancy, absolutely. This teenage girl never thought that she would end up dead and dismembered just by going on a date. Robert Crispin, why do we believe that this child was dismembered? So it's been purported
Starting point is 00:28:06 by police that this is a confession from the defendant that this happened, who then implemented his girlfriend, Michelle. So this allegedly is coming from the horse's mouth. Video of Miranda in her last hours before her death. Take a listen to this. March 6th, less than 24 hours after Steven Gress's arrest, an acquaintance gets the courage to call St. Petersburg PD. The tipster says February 20th, Michelle Brandis could not locate her ring and accused Miranda of stealing it. Miranda denied the accusation and told Brandis she would help her look for it. The couple tied Miranda to a chair and beat her senseless. After several days of beatings, the couple forces a billiards ball
Starting point is 00:28:51 into Miranda's mouth, then secures it with plastic wrap around her face. Now, on the 20th at the house, there was some type of dispute over some missing jewelry. So from the 20th to the 24th, she was beaten and tortured because they could not find this piece of jewelry. You are hearing from the police chief at St. Petersburg BD there. Now, let me understand. To Susan Hendricks joining us, investigative journalist and author, the suspect actually pointed a harpoon gun at the live-in. Police were called for that. He was arrested on a domestic violence.
Starting point is 00:29:32 Once he is arrested on domestic violence and the neighbors realize he's not there, a tip comes in about Miranda. How did that happen, Susan? Yes, that's an excellent point to bring up the timeline. He was arrested. They realized that and say, wait a minute, he's already in jail right now because of pointing a harpoon at Michelle. The tip came in on the 8th, two days later.
Starting point is 00:29:56 Was that, they're of course not saying who it was, was it Michelle's mother whose home it was where the body was allegedly dismembered to the mother's home. Did the tip come in from the mother? Did it come from Michelle? And then when he was in court, he was in court and he said, where's Michelle? Why isn't she arrested? I could see him pinning this on her. But yes, that tip came in two days after he was arrested. So the neighbors get the courage with him behind bars on a Domrell domestic relations to actually call about Miranda. I'd like to see those photos again. According to police, this is the last thing that a teen girl just turned 16 sees
Starting point is 00:30:36 before her death. Him and his hench person from hell, according to police, her, Michelle Brandes. The psychopathy to Dr. Bethany Marshall, renowned psychoanalyst, a woman going along with the man in torturing, raping, murdering a little girl. And in a few moments, I'm going to show you the video of her just running along like a little lap dog and jumping in the car like they're going to Burger King and driving off with the little girl's body in the trunk for Pete's sake. Well I don't get it. How can you stand by and let that happen and become part of it? You know Nancy because she was interested in the crime, they did not beat and torture her allegedly to death because of a ring. Psychopaths do this because they get sexual pleasure from causing suffering, humiliation and pain. This is the M.O. for the crime.
Starting point is 00:31:39 So I see that I see him allegedly carrying the body out right now. You know, Nancy, how he's carrying it is like somebody would carry dirty laundry that they're about to take to the laundromat. And this is very typical for these kinds of crimes that the victim is incredibly sexually interesting to the perpetrators until the victim is dead. And unless they're going to commit necrophilia or use the corpse in some way, all the energy has gone out. There's no interest there anymore.
Starting point is 00:32:07 So all they want to do is just dismember and get rid of this corpse so they can go on to their next victim. Dr. Kendall Crowns joining me, renowned chief medical examiner, Tarrant County, that's Fort Worth. is an esteemed lecturer at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU and just launching a brand new podcast, April 7, Mayhem in the Morgue. Here's my concern, Dr. Kendall Crowns. It's not your duty to know the law is your duty to perform autopsies as you do thousands of them. But Dr. Kendall Crowns, a confession alone under our jurisprudence is not enough for the state to move forward. A case cannot be made on only a confession. If this body has been dismembered and possibly even incinerated, how can we prove the case? And doesn't it require a great deal of physical effort to execute a dismemberment? Well, that's correct, Nancy. If they have actually succeeded in dismembering and
Starting point is 00:33:16 incinerating the body, there may be no evidence left to collect or to be able to determine a cause and manner of death. And without a body, you could just have someone that's mentally unstable confessing to a crime they didn't commit. And it does take a great deal of physical effort to dismember a body unless you're using like an electric saw, like a sawzall or something of that nature to help you. If you're just using hand saws, it can take quite a bit of effort and quite a bit of time. So usually with dismemberments, we see electric tools used to help expedite the process. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Welcome back. We are now showing you video we have just obtained of this duo from hell
Starting point is 00:34:12 going out to the car with the child's body in the trunk. Apparently, Robert Crispin, they're loading up the car like they're going on a picnic. I can only imagine what that is that the co-defendant 35-year-old Michelle Brandes is taking into the car. What am I seeing on the video, Robert? So what you're seeing, this particular part of the video is several minutes after that we believe that Miranda was put in the trunk by Stephen and they both went back in the house, but then they both come back out and they're loading other things. I don't know what they are, Nancy. Are they fruits of the crime? Are they more evidence to conceal? I don't know, but that's crystal clear video of both Steve and Michelle getting in that car, backing up and driving away.
Starting point is 00:35:01 Straight out to veteran trial lawyer now joining us, Andrea Lewis, partner of Searcy Law Firm in the Florida jurisdiction, former felony prosecutor in Palm Beach. Andrea, thank you for joining us. I wanted you to see all the video and hear the discussion. I mean, this is a treasure trove of evidence. Where will the state go first? My main concern right now is finding any bit of DNA, any bit of tissue to prove that this child was dismembered. Of course, a case can't go forward with just a confession. That's an excellent point, Nancy. And so fortunately here, it sounds like from what investigators are saying, they may in fact have that. So this is truly a house of horrors where this young, innocent child spent her last
Starting point is 00:35:54 days. But what we know is that after they transported her body to Michelle's mother's home. That is where they allegedly dismembered this poor young child. And what investigators have reported is that there was, quote unquote, body matter that was found in that home along with DNA and that one of Michelle's relatives was actually present during the dismemberment, although they do note that she is disabled herself. So she may not have witnessed what occurred, but nevertheless, she may have some information to provide investigators. Andrea Lewis, are you ever shocked at all the cases you've seen? Because it never fails to throw me for a loop. I mean, here, I mean, do you see them, Andrea? You've prosecuted many, many major felonies before you went with Cersei. The way they're getting into this car, it's like they're running out to a picnic. Maybe
Starting point is 00:37:00 they're going to stop at KFC on the way for Pete's sake. They're casual. It's as if they are not worried about getting caught at all. Crispin agrees with that. They're loading up the car with all sorts of paraphernalia. I don't know what it is yet, but I will find out. It's very commonplace. They're not worried at all. They're not trying to conceal their faces. They're right in the front walkway for Pete's sake. There's a body in the trunk. Nancy, you know just as well as I do from
Starting point is 00:37:29 many years as a prosecutor that the defendant's demeanor while they're committing a crime speaks volumes about the person who's committing the crime and how comfortable they are in this criminal arena with violent acts. You can often tell by analyzing a perpetrator while they're carrying out these horrific acts, whether they've done this before, whether they're comfortable with violence. In this man's case, what his overall feelings are just about women in general, he appears to, as we heard from Adrian and then we see from this case, he appears to really look at them almost as a possession, something that's there for him, not another human. And that really speaks volumes about the type of person that he is, about what type of a potential psychopath here that he may in fact be. It certainly seems like he is and what he's capable of. To see these two minions from hell again, they look like they're going on a picnic.
Starting point is 00:38:36 Robert Crispin, you see her, the co-defendant who went on the run, by the way, had to get her in loading up as if they're going on a picnic, like I said. I mean, they have things slung over their shoulders. They're not in a hurry. There is a child dead in the trunk, and they know they are headed to a location to dismember her. Yeah. You know, I think we've all talked about
Starting point is 00:39:07 this. The mind of a criminal is not a mind. It's like we don't even understand what they're thinking and what they're going through. They're so far gone. They're so far out in left field. I don't even think they know what they're thinking at that point. And to try to reason with a murderer, try to reason with someone who's a criminal, it's so hard. And that's why we have our psychologists. Speaking of a psychoanalyst joining us from L.A., Dr. Bethany Marshall. Dr. Bethany, it just you and I have covered so many cases where after a murder, the defendants go for drive through. They go to Waffle House. They go to IHOP. Like, nothing has happened. And that's how these two are acting. I mean, Bethany, my children have just turned 17.
Starting point is 00:39:54 That's the age of this little girl. She just turned 16. She is dead, heading to dismemberment in the back of their car. I don't get their laissez-faire, their casual attitude. Well, Nancy, I do, because if you think of this type of alleged rape homicide as a compulsion, what we see with compulsions is that there's a buildup of anxiety, agitation, urgency to complete the compulsion. And then after that, all the urgency dissipates until it builds back up again. So we see this with binging and purging or compulsive masturbating.
Starting point is 00:40:32 Well, think about compulsive homicide. This guy allegedly, if he committed the crime, has this urgency to torture. Okay. So he's hitting up all the women in the neighborhood. He's harassing, he's stalking, he's being misogynistic, he's compulsive. When he finally finds the victim, who by the way, is the youngest one who cannot advocate for herself, who's being raised by a grandmother, who bless her little heart is wearing a midriff to what she believes is a date. When he finally finds that and he can unleash his fury and his sexual desire on her for days, then the compulsion diminishes again until it builds back up again. So of course, they're going to go through a drive-through. They're going to go get a meal. That's why they're sauntering, Nancy. It's after the act and all that intensity of wanting to commit the crime has dissipated for a while.
Starting point is 00:41:30 If you know or think you know anything as the state continues to build this case about the luring, the murder and the dismemberment of this little girl, please dial 727-893-7780. Repeat, 727-893-7780. We remember an American hero, police officer Gregory Maloney, Plymouth PD, passed away in the line of duty, 17 years of service, survived by wife, turned widow, Susan, sons, Gregory and Michael, American hero, police officer, Gregory Maloney, Nancy Grace signing off. Goodbye, friend.
Starting point is 00:42:28 This is an iHeart podcast

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