Found Deceased FL - Madeline Soto, 13, Missing Child Alert, 13500 blk Town Loop Blvd, Orlando, 26 Feb 2024 *arrest* #2

[iusedtofloat]

partner, boyfriend...and then...the affidavit refers to SS as Madeline's stepfather?

i think that's the kind of relationship mom was convinced the two had, despite the ups and downs in mom & SS's relationship, if that makes sense

 

[Eli9]

SS is under No Bond for the SA charges. Once charged with murder, the court clock starts ticking.

As SS sits in jail, LE can investigate MS death and have all their ducks in a row, to file for death penalty.

No rush, he ain't going nowhere.
Moo

BBM
This needs to be a sticky at the top of every page MOO

 

[scottishgal]

Him disposing of a body may not make him the killer though. Might make him an accessory after the fact though. They'll want to prove who did what and when, and where etc before they bring forward any charges.

Agree with this theory. I think police are still fact finding on the Moms involvement , if there was any , ie
Don't really agree with the ppl saying they got him anyway on the SA charges so no rush on this . But yes agree it needs to be watertight yo save time down the line.
They probably want to avoid another Chris watts scenario where he confessed to the murders and got a plea deal n it doesn't go to trial but to this day ppl are still saying LE should have investigated the girlfriends involvement as a possible accomplice given location of her mobile pings that morning. Mom here knowing not knowing about the SA might be almost impossible to verify ?? Easier to forensically establish any involvement in the demise of MS ?

 

[Pruddennce]

What other plausible situations could explain coming back to throw the backpack ? Even if it was on the spur n not planned , what could have been the momentary logic ?

LE did not give any information regarding where he was prior to 7:35am. they simply stated he was observed at 7:35am at the dumpster. did he just arrive? did he come out of the complex because he was there overnite? they didnt say.

they did say he RETURNED at 8:19am, at which time Madeline was seen in the vehicle and they believe she was deceased. its unclear if she was seen arriving with him in the vehicle. was she in the apt and he 'moved' her body at that time when he returned?

so prior to 7:35am, no info was released about that time during the press conferences. and no info released if Madeline was seen leaving the apt with him, walking, being carried, no information other than being seen in the vehicle, apparently deceased.

 

[scottishgal]

LE did not give any information regarding where he was prior to 7:35am. they simply stated he was observed at 7:35am at the dumpster. did he just arrive? did he come out of the complex because he was there overnite? they didnt say.

they did say he RETURNED at 8:19am, at which time Madeline was seen in the vehicle and they believe she was deceased. its unclear if she was seen arriving with him in the vehicle. was she in the apt and he 'moved' her body at that time when he returned?

so prior to 7:35am, no info was released about that time during the press conferences. and no info released if Madeline was seen leaving the apt with him, walking, being carried, no information other than being seen in the vehicle, apparently deceased.

Thank you. You're right. We don't know then if she was still alive at 7.30 only that she was presumed dead on video in the car at 8.19..why come back why come back why come back why come back .....

 

[scottishgal]

But why did LE use the words returned at 8.19 if that was their first sighting of him on video that morning. Returned implies they saw him leave too ?????

 

[Babylon Sister]

Has SS been charged with her murder yet?

If not, why?

I'm going to guess that the autopsy results, including toxicology, may contain aggravating factors or lead to more charges. Even if that's not the case, like others have said, time is on LEs side given the current charges.

 

[Leilei]

I don’t think so. I’ve read a boatload of affidavits, warrants and complaints. This one was a bit unusual. I’ve been wondering the same. The information was intentionally put out. We don’t usually find out those kind of details until court. imo others may see it differently but I thought it was quite graphic.

Just a thought, but the very detailed description of his genitals may have been purposely put in the affidavit, so that other victims might recognize "it" and come forward? IMO.

 

[alexwood]

Apologies in advance if this has already been discussed but I've missed a couple days in this thread.

Does anyone else think it's possible the reason JS seemed to some of us that she was acting oddly in that interview is because SS took Maddie with him and left before the mom woke up? Maybe her demeanor is because she's covering for her own lack of concern about Maddie's location on that morning. She probably had a thousand scenarios about what happened going through her head.

Maybe SS told MS that he'd come take her for donuts or something before school so he came back to their place early. I believe the mom said she asked for SS to come get Maddie but imo it's possible he called her and said something like, I told Maddie I'll pick her up for breakfast, so go ahead & sleep in. Maybe he even had wine or weed with Jen to ensure she'd be sleeping in. They must still have a relationship of some sort since he went to M's birthday party and her mom didn't.

Well, my question is where did SS sleep after Madeline's birthday party? I think he slept right there in that house. In the "spare/guest bedroom". Where else would he stay? And that bedroom has to be on the same floor as Madeline's bedroom. (How convenient.) The master bedroom was on the main level. The other bedrooms in the house were on the second floor. He had come up from North Port, Florida, where he had been living with his parents specifically to attend Maddie's birthday party on Sunday. I know he didn't just turn around and drive back to North Port after the party. Especially because he must have been committed to driving her to school the next day.

 

[Mack the Knife]

partner, boyfriend...and then...the affidavit refers to SS as Madeline's stepfather?

IMO, this--that the arrest warrant request refers to SS as the stepfather when we know that factually he was not--is a good reason to not pay too close attention to the specific wording in the affidavit.

There has been a lot of confusion around the affidavit saying JS said MS was "picked up" by SS, but I don't think we can rely on that wording to definitely mean that SS was not already at JS+MS's residence. It isn't written as a direct quote. I don't recall JS publicly saying in an interview that SS picked MS up to go to school, just the inconsistent language around "we" vs. "he". If anyone knows of another time that JS may have said that SS picked MS up, please point me to it!

 

[MassGuy]

**GRAPHIC WARNING**
The Arrest Affidavit has been updated and is now less redacted (which makes it more graphic). Madeline's name isn't present, but it confirms it's her based on the context and birthdate. One incident took place in August of 2022, when Madeline was 11, and another incident took place when she was 12.

It's the 3 page document under "Dockets" dated 3/1. Again, it's more disturbing as it includes more information. You’ll have to enter "sterns, stephan."

ETA: I’ve attached both affidavits. They are slightly different as the charges are different.

https://courts.osceolaclerk.com/BenchmarkWeb/Home.aspx/Search

 

[scottishgal]

The Arrest Affidavit has been updated and is now less redacted (which makes it more graphic). Madeline's name isn't present, but it confirms it's her based on the context and birthdate. One incident took place in August of 2022, when Madeline was 11, and another incident took place when she was 12.

It's the 3 page document under "Dockets" dated 3/1. Again, it's more disturbing as it includes more information: https://courts.osceolaclerk.com/Ben...Details/3358587?digest=Y29JBUGT4wWhoE58aQ38Vg

Thanks for posting. The link doesn't work for me maybe US only. .. maybe for the best ...your summary suffices thx

 

[photographer4]

But why did LE use the words returned at 8.19 if that was their first sighting of him on video that morning. Returned implies they saw him leave too ?????

Or that they KNOW somehow that he left (might have been someone who reported having seen him there vs a video) etc...

 

[momsof3]

IMO, this--that the arrest warrant request refers to SS as the stepfather when we know that factually he was not--is a good reason to not pay too close attention to the specific wording in the affidavit.

Case: 2024 CF 000632
Stephan Michael Sterns
DOB 4/25/1986
SEXUAL BATTERY (FAMILIAL/CUSTODIAL AUTHORITY)
POSSESSION OF MATERIALS SEXUAL PERFORMANCE BY CHILD
POSSESSION OF MATERIALS SEXUAL PERFORMANCE BY CHILD


View attachment 488119

View attachment 488118

https://courts.osceolaclerk.com/BenchmarkWeb/CourtCase.aspx/Details/3358251?digest=4ty7O6uN1HAB4VIq0%2FtrOQ

My guess is that it must be alleged that SS was the stepfather for him to be eligible for the charges that he was in a “custodial” role (see payrollnerd’s listing of the charges). It occurs to me that JS did us all a favor by saying SS was the stepfather. Did SS ever refer to himself as such?

The lawyer in me wonders if the defense can knock out those charges by proving SS was not the stepfather (legally not married to mom). Fortunately, it will be years before that appeal can be heard and with all the solid evidence of murder - and I’m sure there is more being developed as we speak - this is still, IMO, a death penalty case.

 

[TravelingBug]

He might not have wanted to place anything with her body that would immediately give away her identity? He may have been hoping that her body would remain undiscovered long enough for decomposition to make her unrecognizable and didn't want to leave the backpack which might have had her name on it or inside it? Surely he would have known even in that case that DNA would identify her, but I can't think of any other reason other than he was in pure panic mode and absolutely not thinking at all (which also seems likely because everything about this screams sloppy and unplanned).

Along with those good thoughts, I think it's possible he may also have been concerned about whether the laptop would be traceable and might lead to her body.

There's also the possibility of whether or not he knew her phone was left at home or if he may have thought that could also have been in her bag and didn't want it pinging to where she was found.

 

[scottishgal]

They were in an apartment or independent house with car inside garage ? I can't make out it looks like a house but says apartment in the map ....

 

[photographer4]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1765135251762753587

I cannot access the news in USA - can someone send a summary? PLS?

 

[PayrollNerd]

Madeline Soto: Story Jennifer Soto gave law enforcement doesn’t line up with what investigators know

Channel 9 learned Tuesday that the story Jennifer Soto -- the mother of 13-year-old Madeline Soto -- gave to law enforcement does not line up with what investigators know.

www.wftv.com

Snip
Newly obtained documents show that the girl’s mother told deputies Feb. 26 that she saw her daughter getting dressed for school at 8 a.m. Monday, and Sterns then took her to school.

Sources tell Channel 9 that Jennifer Soto has been interviewed multiple times by detectives from two agencies and that they are looking closely at all the statements she has made.

 

[Cartie]

Not from anything I have seen, and frankly I feel disgusted about it. This poor baby doesn't need to be defiled further. My God. Sorry, this is infuriating to me, and very sickening

I know, wish I had never seen it or anyone else.

 

[TravelingBug]

<snip> nor for him to have RETURNED there at 8:19am wherein police saw Maddie ON CAM in his vehicle (possibly dead already!). Can anyone come up with a reason??

Best I came up with for his return with her body in the car was so that he could go inside and use a device to plan where to take her and come up with his story as to where he dropped her off.

So then he could "leave" at the right time to supposedly "take Maddie to school?"

(Maybe thinking he'd give an excuse to Mom for why he went out earlier - "grab coffee" or something - in order to cover for disposing of her things in advance?)