Crime
Jay Stevens Berger, 70-year-old retired doctor in custody following standoff at Four Seasons Hotel in Midtown Atlanta
A retired ophthalmologist, Dr. Jay Berger, was arrested after a tense standoff with Atlanta police at the Four Seasons Hotel in Midtown Atlanta.
The incident unfolded when Berger, armed with multiple weapons, began firing rounds from his high-rise condominium.
The gunfire posed a significant threat to both law enforcement and civilians in the area.
Atlanta Police Department (APD) officers responded to the scene and attempted to negotiate with Berger, but he refused to cooperate.
The situation escalated, leading to a standoff that lasted several hours.
During the standoff, an APD officer was injured. Both Berger and the injured officer were transported to Grady Hospital for medical treatment.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is conducting an investigation into the use of force by police officers during the incident.
The GBI release continues:
The subject began firing a weapon inside his apartment and into the hallway. As rounds were fired through the walls at SWAT officers, one officer returned fire. One SWAT officer was injured during the incident (possibly by shrapnel). The subject then proceeded onto the balcony of his apartment and began throwing items off the balcony. At some point during the encounter, a SWAT sniper fired at the subject and struck him. SWAT entered the subject’s apartment and took the subject into custody without further incident.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Authorities have made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the kidnapping and murder of 16-year-old Miranda Corsette.
On Saturday morning, March 9, Michelle Brandes, 37, the domestic partner of Steven Gress, 35, surrendered to police.
Brandes is now in custody and has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Corsette’s death.
Meanwhile, Gress, who was already in custody on unrelated charges, has also been formally charged with first-degree murder for his role in the brutal killing.
On March 6, a witness contacted authorities with critical information regarding a possible kidnapping and homicide involving Corsette, who had been reported missing on February 24 to the Gulfport Police Department.
Through the course of their investigation, detectives uncovered the following disturbing timeline:
- February 14 – Miranda Corsette met Steven Gress for the first time after being lured via a social media app. She returned home that night.
- February 15 – Corsette voluntarily returned to Gress’s home, a duplex located at 2708 27th Ave. N.
- February 20 – A dispute occurred inside the home, during which Corsette was brutally beaten.
- Sometime between February 20 and February 24 – Corsette was killed at the residence.
After the murder, investigators determined that Gress transported Corsette’s body to a residence at 12243 Mallory Drive in Largo.
Evidence at the Largo home suggests the victim was dismembered before being taken to Hillsborough County, where Gress disposed of her remains in a dumpster at 2893 14th Ave. S.E. in Ruskin.
Authorities have located the dumpster and are conducting an intensive search for Corsette’s remains.
Arrests and Charges
- Steven Gress, 35
- First-degree murder (Miranda Corsette)
- Kidnapping
- Prior arrests (March 5) for aggravated assault with a harpoon and drug possession
- Michelle Brandes, 37
- First-degree murder (turned herself in on March 9)
This remains an active and ongoing investigation, with additional charges likely as authorities continue gathering evidence.
The St. Petersburg Police Department extends gratitude to multiple local, state, and federal agencies assisting in this complex investigation, including:
- Gulfport Police Department
- Largo Police Department
- Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
- State and federal partners
Further updates will be provided as new details emerge.