Judge denies 18-year-old killer's final request before life sentence for murdering 15-year-old girl

A teen who was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a 15-year-old girl in Cape Coral has had his final request denied by a judge.

On March 17, 2024, Kayla Rincon-Miller was walking to the movies with some friends, when they were targeted randomly by Thomas Stein and his friend, Christopher Horne.

18-year-old Thomas Stein was sentenced to life in prison for First-Degree Felony Murder, for the murder of Miller. He was also sentenced to 15 years for 'three counts of Attempted Robbery with a Firearm, to run consecutive, the State Attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida states - which equals to an extra 45 years.

“I didn’t know that robbery was going to occur, but it was my reaction in fleeing that ultimately played a major role in assisting the perpetrators,” Stein said at his sentencing Friday.

Although he admitted to being present at the time of Miller's death, and driving the getaway car, he said his plan had been to only steal from cars that night, and not to hurt anyone. He claimed he was not the one to pull the trigger.

Before heading behind bars, the teen reportedly wanted to give his family one last hug, as he broke down when turning to his family in the gallery.

However, his request was denied by the judge, as per Court TV.

“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?” the 18-year-old reportedly asked Judge Nick Thompson.

“I can’t grant that request in here. You can say goodbye, but you can’t have any physical contact," he responded.

Stein also had a message for the victim's family, saying: “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,” as 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

“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.”

Louann Dejaie, who was a close friend of Miller took to the stand, in which she tearfully said: "There are no words that can truly describe the void I wake up with every single day. It feels like I'm trapped in a coma that I can't wake up from. Losing Kayla changed every part of my life."