Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Man pleads guilty to murder of Gulfport teen. He wants the death penalty

tampabay.com · 13h · first reportShare

Steven Gress walked into a Pinellas County courtroom Wednesday morning smiling, ready to take responsibility in the kidnapping, murder and dismemberment of a Gulfport teen he met on Grindr last April. The change of plea came after Gress, 37, told a judge during a routine hearing last month that he wanted the death penalty. Under state law, a defendant facing the death penalty has to undergo a penalty phase, even if they plead guilty to the crime. Though a jury usually decides whether a defendant should be sentenced to death or life in prison, Gress has indicated that he wants Judge Philip Federico to make the decision. Dr. Mark Crawford, a court psychologist for the 6th Judicial Circuit, evaluated Gress after last month’s hearing to ensure he was competent to enter a plea. Gress was “very open, very respectful, very cooperative” during the hour and a half he spent with him, Crawford told the court. “I believe he can freely and voluntarily enter a plea, and his decision is not contamina