Madeline Soto’s death: her mother’s boyfriend accused of first-degree murder
Florida Police Arrest Boyfriend of Missing Teen’s Mother on Unrelated Charges
Stephan Sterns, 38, was named the “primary suspect” in the February disappearance of his girlfriend’s 13-year-old daughter, Madeline Soto, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Soto was found dead shortly after her arrest and Sterns was charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday, April 24.
A Florida man arrested in February during an investigation into the disappearance and death of his girlfriend’s teenage daughter has been officially charged with murder.
Osceola County Jail records show Stephan Sterns, 38, who was arrested Feb. 28 on unrelated charges, was charged with first-degree murder Wednesday in connection with the death of Madeline Soto, 13 years.
Soto, who was found dead on March 1, was allegedly murdered by Sterns sometime between February 25 and 27, according to the indictment obtained by FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
“Evidence shows that an individual tasked with keeping Madeline safe took calculated steps to dispose of Madeline’s belongings and place her body in a wooded area before she was reported missing,” said Kissimmee Police Chief , Betty Holland, during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
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Stephan Sterns, 38, is charged with first-degree murder, among dozens of other sex charges, in the death of his girlfriend’s 13-year-old daughter, Madeline Soto. (Osceola County Jail)
Sterns, who was dubbed the “prime suspect” in Soto’s disappearance in February, was initially arrested for sexual assault and possession of child sexual abuse material after voluntarily handing over his phone to police.
A Digital Forensic Unit was able to reveal that the images and videos on Sterns’ phone were “criminal and sexual in nature,” the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in announcing his arrest. Police did not say whether the photos and videos involved Soto.
In March, he was also charged with eight counts of sexual assault on a child under 12 years old, five counts of sexual assault on a child 12 to 18 years old, seven counts of lewd and lascivious abuse, and 40 counts of unlawful possession of materials that represent sexual acts. for a child.
Court documents in those cases implied that Sterns may have abused Maddie in the years leading up to her disappearance and death, according to FOX 13.
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Madeline “Maddie” Soto, 13, was found dead on March 1 after she was reportedly last seen by her mother’s boyfriend around 8:30 a.m. on Monday, February 26. (Orange County Sheriff’s Office)
While the only person charged in Soto’s disappearance and death as of Wednesday is Sterns, the investigation remains active, according to Will Jay, head of the Homicide Unit of the State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit.
Sterns was the last person to see Soto on Feb. 26, when he allegedly dropped her off a few blocks from her school that morning, according to police during his arrest in February.
When her mother went to pick her up around 4:30 p.m., she learned that Maddie never made it into school. that day.
Sterns was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Madeline Soto on Wednesday, April 24, nearly two months after she was found dead. (Orange County Sheriff’s Office)
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It has not yet been decided whether the death penalty will be sought against Sterns, State Attorney Andrew Bain said Wednesday.
“That’s a discussion we’re still going to have over the next two weeks to make sure we’re making a legal decision that’s appropriate in this case,” Bain said when asked about the possibility of the death penalty.
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Sterns remains in the Osceola County Jail without bond.
