Found Deceased FL - Madeline Soto, 13, Missing Child Alert, 13500 blk Town Loop Blvd, Orlando, 26 Feb 2024 *arrest* #10

[vls12345]

The message I got from Jenn and Grandma and Jenn's sister was not that Maddie was so happy and that's whyshe wouldn't run away...

"She is not the type of person" (both in English and Spanish by Jenn)
"She has many fears" (Grandma, in Spanish tv)
"I really don't think she would have ever done anything like that... to just pick up and run away with no trace of anything" (Jenn's sister)

Early on, the aunt:

She would never ever run away.... because she's "not that type of person". That just sounds odd to me, in retrospect. We now know that there was tension between Maddie and mom, at the very least arguments about Jenn dis-owning her when she turned 18 (I am unfamiliar with this threat, I am from different culture so this just sounds mean? I don't know), Maddie wanting to leave the home, Jenn being absent in terms of Maddie's academics (she was getting Ds and Fs)... to me Jenn from the get-go was set on spinning the "ShE was TAkeN!" Narrative.... within 48 hours.

What is this threat "to Disown", is it..
I hate that I had you, you will be dead to me once you turn 18?
Or
I don't want to be responsible financially at all for you, you will not inherit this house or any money unless you do as I say?
Or
Something else? Is it an actual legal process, to disown a child?

Imo only, the "disown" statement is probably something tossed around in an argumentative family where the parent gets tired of financially supporting their own child so constantly reminds the child that at age 18 (legally an adult), the parent will no longer provide financial support for the child.

Again, imo, this can be because the family argues a lot & it's an idle threat
or
it's meant for real because the parent struggles financially & wants to remove a financial burden as soon as they legally can
&/or
a mix of both -- a way to induce shame or compliance by reminding the child that they are a financial burden.

There are probably other reasons or interpretations but these are my thoughts on it. (Like you, I don't come from a family that tosses those words around so this is conjecture on my part & from hearing from others.) MOO.

 

[vls12345]

I had a thought on revisiting the old lie: how many different versions of the same story JS has given about the last time she saw her child? By my count, there are four:

1. Version one where Jennifer saw Maddie: "[Jennifer], [Maddie]'s mother, stated she last saw [Maddie] at 0800 hours on the morning of February 26, 2024 as she was getting ready for school. [Maddie] left with Stephan." (p. 871).
2. Version two where Jennifer heard Maddie: "[Jennifer] originally provided to Deputy Joseph that she last saw [Maddie] on the morning of February 26, 2024 getting ready for school at approximately 0800 hours. In my interview with her, she stated she last saw [Maddie] on the night of February 25 at approximately 2300 hours and only possibly heard her the next morning." (p. 876)
3. Version three where Jennifer was awake downstairs between 8:00-8:15 a.m. and heard someone she assumed was Maddie: "I asked [Jennifer] what time she had woken up on February 26, 2024, to which he stated she believed sometime between 800 and 0815 hours because Stephan had gone into the room to put the leash on the dog. [Jennifer] got up to assist Stephan with placing the leash on, the dog because she did not want him to pee on the bed. [Jennifer] heard people in the kitchen and as far as she knew, [Maddie] had gone downstairs to get ready for school." (p. 32)
4. Version four where Jennifer was awake downstairs between 7:00-8:00 and heard someone that wasn't Maddie: "On the Morning of February 26, 2024, [Jennifer] was woken up by Stephan taking their dog for a walk at approximately 0700 or 0800 hours. [Jennifer] further explained she did not actually hear [Maddie] getting ready in the morning specifically, as there are also two roommates in the home. [Jennifer] fell back asleep shortly after being woken up. At approximately 0900 hours, [Jennifer] woke up again and Stephan had not yet returned home after taking [Maddie] to school. [Jennifer] left for an appointment at approximately 0930." (p. 872)

I think we have been looking at these lies through the lens as proof of life for Maddie but I started looking at this through the lens of making excuses for Stephan at these times. So let's go with what we know:

1. Version one is a demonstrable lie because she could not have seen Stephan leaving with Maddie at 8 when Maddie was dead at 7:35: "On February 26, 2024, at 0735 hours, videos that captured the trash compactor on the property show a male, determined to be Stephan Stems, wearing a red tee shirt and dark color hat, worn backwards, arrived in a silver Lincoln sedan. Stems threw a white trash bag, filled with items, inside the trash compactor before pulling away. A female, believed to be [Maddie], is visible in the front passenger seat. Her head is visible, tilted on her left shoulder, and her mouth was open. She was belted into the seat." (p. 58).
2. Version two fails for the same reason. There's no way she saw Stephan at 8 anything because he was cruising around Orlando with a dead body in the passenger seat.
3. Version three is a lie because Jennifer could not have been interacting with Stephan between 8:00-8:15 a.m.: As seen above, Stephan was at the trash compactor at 7:35 and "At 0819 hours, the Lincoln sedan appears at the front gate where the driver, Stems, interacted with a security guard before being allowed to enter the gate at the front of the complex. Additional video collected from near the rental office, which captured the roundabout, showed the female, believed to be [Maddie] in the same position as the previous video at 0736 hours." (p. 58). He was also driving around at 8:10, 8:11, and 8:22, so he wasn't leashing a dog (p. 584-587). Video surveillance also shows he was seen driving at 8:10, 10:05, 11:48, 1:05, and 2:23 (p. 28-29).
4. Version four just changes the timeline on Jennifer's lie from the previous version to between 7:00-8:00 a.m. to better sync with Stephan's version.: We know Stephan was not home after approximately 7:30 a.m. and Jenn's version here finally matches up with Stephan's where he claims: "Stephan and [Maddie] woke up at approximately 0700 to 0715 hours to get an "early start " so they could purchase food from McDonald's before school. [Maddie] and he left the residence between 0730-0745 hour and headed towards the McDonald's, located at 14001 Town Loop Boulevard, Orlando, Florida."

Jenn also claims she and SS were chilling at the house at 11-11:15 (p. 32). However, if the Osceola sheriff's call log is to be believed, SS was dealing with a flat tire for a substantial amount of time that would have spanned that:

• p. 17: HE BELIEVES HE SAW MALE WITH A FLAT REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE OF HIS SILV SEDAN MONDAY MORNING BETWEEN 0900-1000 HOURS // CALLER ADV HE AN HIS WIFE WAS HEADED BACK HOME AROUND 1415-1515 HOURS AND ADV MALE WAS STILL AT LOCATION AND A YOUNG MALE WITH NATURAL RED HAIR WAS PARKED BEHIND HIM AND HELPING SUSP CHANGE TIRE

I've missed a lot recently, has anyone else pinned down the rest of the day's timeline after JS' appointment?

Fantastic post & great points. Thank you.

 

[Curious Me]

We heard all this talk that Madeline couldn't fall asleep without having someone there, and she needed to be cuddled. Who slept with her at the Grandmother's when she stayed there for a week?​

The need to be cuddled before going to sleep is bizarre. She was 13 years old and not a baby. Come on. Was it Stephan who was saying that? Or did Grandma and Jenn say it too?​

That's what I want to know. Yes, 13 yrs. old should be wanting more privacy. Didn't she call her friend every morning when she woke up? We know SS said she couldn't fall asleep without the cuddles, but that's what he says. The thing is Jenn went along with it apparently.

Supposedly, Jenn slept with Maddie even when SS was not around. Hmm... but didn't JS sometimes need her better alone time sleep when there was no one to take MS to another bedroom? Come one, there must've been times Madeline slept alone.

Then, Gma, from what I heard agreed that MS had many fears, or was Gma just told to say certain things to help support JS? Madeline spent a week at Gma's and I'm seriously doubting family members had to sleep with her that week. That'd be an inconvenience. Well, there's no way of knowing. I doubt JS or any family members are going to be willing to do any talk shows. I think they're holding their breath waiting to see if so and so will be charged with anything. All MOO​

 

[MamaSleuth5]

I had a thought on revisiting the old lie: how many different versions of the same story JS has given about the last time she saw her child? By my count, there are four:

1. Version one where Jennifer saw Maddie: "[Jennifer], [Maddie]'s mother, stated she last saw [Maddie] at 0800 hours on the morning of February 26, 2024 as she was getting ready for school. [Maddie] left with Stephan." (p. 871).
2. Version two where Jennifer heard Maddie: "[Jennifer] originally provided to Deputy Joseph that she last saw [Maddie] on the morning of February 26, 2024 getting ready for school at approximately 0800 hours. In my interview with her, she stated she last saw [Maddie] on the night of February 25 at approximately 2300 hours and only possibly heard her the next morning." (p. 876)
3. Version three where Jennifer was awake downstairs between 8:00-8:15 a.m. and heard someone she assumed was Maddie: "I asked [Jennifer] what time she had woken up on February 26, 2024, to which he stated she believed sometime between 800 and 0815 hours because Stephan had gone into the room to put the leash on the dog. [Jennifer] got up to assist Stephan with placing the leash on, the dog because she did not want him to pee on the bed. [Jennifer] heard people in the kitchen and as far as she knew, [Maddie] had gone downstairs to get ready for school." (p. 32)
4. Version four where Jennifer was awake downstairs between 7:00-8:00 and heard someone that wasn't Maddie: "On the Morning of February 26, 2024, [Jennifer] was woken up by Stephan taking their dog for a walk at approximately 0700 or 0800 hours. [Jennifer] further explained she did not actually hear [Maddie] getting ready in the morning specifically, as there are also two roommates in the home. [Jennifer] fell back asleep shortly after being woken up. At approximately 0900 hours, [Jennifer] woke up again and Stephan had not yet returned home after taking [Maddie] to school. [Jennifer] left for an appointment at approximately 0930." (p. 872)

I think we have been looking at these lies through the lens as proof of life for Maddie but I started looking at this through the lens of making excuses for Stephan at these times. So let's go with what we know:

1. Version one is a demonstrable lie because she could not have seen Stephan leaving with Maddie at 8 when Maddie was dead at 7:35: "On February 26, 2024, at 0735 hours, videos that captured the trash compactor on the property show a male, determined to be Stephan Stems, wearing a red tee shirt and dark color hat, worn backwards, arrived in a silver Lincoln sedan. Stems threw a white trash bag, filled with items, inside the trash compactor before pulling away. A female, believed to be [Maddie], is visible in the front passenger seat. Her head is visible, tilted on her left shoulder, and her mouth was open. She was belted into the seat." (p. 58).
2. Version two fails for the same reason. There's no way she saw Stephan at 8 anything because he was cruising around Orlando with a dead body in the passenger seat.
3. Version three is a lie because Jennifer could not have been interacting with Stephan between 8:00-8:15 a.m.: As seen above, Stephan was at the trash compactor at 7:35 and "At 0819 hours, the Lincoln sedan appears at the front gate where the driver, Stems, interacted with a security guard before being allowed to enter the gate at the front of the complex. Additional video collected from near the rental office, which captured the roundabout, showed the female, believed to be [Maddie] in the same position as the previous video at 0736 hours." (p. 58). He was also driving around at 8:10, 8:11, and 8:22, so he wasn't leashing a dog (p. 584-587). Video surveillance also shows he was seen driving at 8:10, 10:05, 11:48, 1:05, and 2:23 (p. 28-29).
4. Version four just changes the timeline on Jennifer's lie from the previous version to between 7:00-8:00 a.m. to better sync with Stephan's version.: We know Stephan was not home after approximately 7:30 a.m. and Jenn's version here finally matches up with Stephan's where he claims: "Stephan and [Maddie] woke up at approximately 0700 to 0715 hours to get an "early start " so they could purchase food from McDonald's before school. [Maddie] and he left the residence between 0730-0745 hour and headed towards the McDonald's, located at 14001 Town Loop Boulevard, Orlando, Florida."

Jenn also claims she and SS were chilling at the house at 11-11:15 (p. 32). However, if the Osceola sheriff's call log is to be believed, SS was dealing with a flat tire for a substantial amount of time that would have spanned that:

• p. 17: HE BELIEVES HE SAW MALE WITH A FLAT REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE OF HIS SILV SEDAN MONDAY MORNING BETWEEN 0900-1000 HOURS // CALLER ADV HE AN HIS WIFE WAS HEADED BACK HOME AROUND 1415-1515 HOURS AND ADV MALE WAS STILL AT LOCATION AND A YOUNG MALE WITH NATURAL RED HAIR WAS PARKED BEHIND HIM AND HELPING SUSP CHANGE TIRE

I've missed a lot recently, has anyone else pinned down the rest of the day's timeline after JS' appointment?

Great post, thank you! I agree completely.

 

[MissMalowe]

A 13 year old needing someone to sleep with them in order to fall/stay asleep is NOT normal. I'd say I'm surprised that this wasn't being addressed and dealt with in an alternative way but mom seems like a somewhat lazy gal in general...the amount of things she simply didn't do or delegated to someone else to do for her kinda seems excessive.

 

[ttjo]

Then, Gma, from what I heard agreed that MS had many fears, or was Gma just told to say certain things to help support JS? ​

Not that I know the first thing about G-ma, but I was hoping she said " so many fears she doesn't sleep alone, just to emphasize Maddi wouldn't run away.

A 13 year old needing someone to sleep with them in order to fall/stay asleep is NOT normal. I'd say I'm surprised that this wasn't being addressed and dealt with in an alternative way but mom seems like a somewhat lazy gal in general...the amount of things she simply didn't do or delegated to someone else to do for her kinda seems excessive.

I agree, you would think this would be discussed with a doctor or therapist to get to the cause.

 

[Anika]

All the sleeping arrangement references are below from the doc dump. JS did not once say in police interviews that Madeline needed someone to sleep with, only that JS needed her sleep sometimes and so she sent them away. Though she does say that MS slept with her, she doesn't say how often nor refer to it as a necessity, but to be fair, that doesn't mean that it wasn't. Only that it's not addressed in the specific way that SS and the grandmother did.

Scribd
When he [SS] arrived, [JS] was still at work and he directed [MS] to get ready for bed. Once [JS] arrived, she informed Stephan and [MS] she would like to sleep in and directed them to sleep upstairs in the guest room.

Scribd
I asked [JS] if it was normal for Stephan and [MS] to sleep in the same room to which she stated sometimes she would send them upstairs when she needed a really good night's sleep. [JS] also advised sometimes they would all sleep together in the king-size bed and other times Stephan would sleep upstairs, meaning [MS] and she would sleep alone. [JS] advised it usually depended on everyone’s schedule the following day.
...
[JS] then stated [MS] had a makeshift room in the living room that had a television, a desk, a dresser, and a bed. [MS] only used this room to hang out and would never sleep there.
...
[JS] arrived at the house from work at approximately 2230 hours and sent [MS] and Stephan to bed at approximately 2300 hours. I asked where [MS] and Stephan slept, and she stated upstairs in bedroom number four.

Scribd
During the interview, [JS] confirmed that [MS] lives with her and that her boyfriend of approximately seven years was Stephan Stems. As the interview continued, [JS] stated that on "rare" occasions, [MS] and Stephan slept in the same bed. According to [JS], the reason for this is so she could get some sleep because sometimes all three of them sleep in the same bed.

Scribd
Mariely Alejandro stated Stephan Sterns told her although he was separated from his girlfriend he still slept at [JS]’s residence and specifically in the bed with [MS]. Mariely Alejandro said Stephan Stems justified this behavior by saying he needed to cuddle with her so she could fall asleep. Mariely Alejandro further recalled a conversation she had with Stephan Sterns where he told her that he woke up in the bed with [MS] with an erection and had to turn around in the bed. Mariely Alejandro felt the comments Stephan Stems made to her about sleeping with [MS] were inappropriate and she stopped talking to him shortly after they were made

Scribd
[JS] stated her and Stephan had been dating on and off for approximately seven years. Stephan had moved out of the home in the later part of 2023 (November/December). [JS] stated while they were together they would either all sleep in the same bed or [MS] would sleep with her when Stephan was not there. When asked if it was normal that Stephan and [MS] to sleep together without her being there and she said yes. [JS] stated if she needed a good night sleep due to her anxiety, she would ask them to sleep in a different bedroom.

Scribd
I asked Stephan what the sleeping arrangements were within the [home]. Stephan stated [MS] typically sleeps with [UNKNOWN-probably JS?] in [UNKNOWN-probably JS?]'s bed. Stephan stated [MS] wanted them all to sleep in the same bed when he returned from being away for several months. Stephan stated [MS] always needed human contact when going to sleep, Stephan referred to it as "snuggling"

Scribd
[JS] stated the last time she saw [MS] was on the night of Sunday, February 25, 2024 at approximately 2300 hours inside of the home when she was going to bed. At this time, [JS] sent [MS] and Stephan up to a guest bedroom. All three were originally going to sleep in [JS']s bed; however, [JS] stated she needed to get some rest due to her new job making her very tired, she would sleep better alone, and Stephan was going to get [MS] ready for school in the morning anyway. Stephan no longer lives in the home with [JS] and [MS], as he moved out in December of 2023; however, he has come to visit two or three times since then. When Stephan visits the home, he will sleep in the guest bedroom upstairs while [JS] and [MS] sleep together downstairs.

Scribd
I inquired about whether or not it was normal to allow [MS] and Stephan to sleep in the same room unsupervised. [JS] replied this was not common practice; however, she did not have any suspicion that anything inappropriate would occur between the two. [JS] used to be very hyper vigilant around Stephan; however, as the years have gone by, she has allowed [MS] and him to be alone because they get along very well.

https://www.scribd.com/embeds/745069123/content?start_page=874 [The interview was with SS on this part]
On the night of Sunday February 25, [MS] was still very excited from her birthday party. [MS] slept in the guest bedroom upstairs with Stephan at approximately 2300 hours.

 

[Anika]

...
Scribd
I asked Stephan what the sleeping arrangements were within the [home]. Stephan stated [MS] typically sleeps with [UNKNOWN-probably JS?] in [UNKNOWN-probably JS?]'s bed. Stephan stated [MS] wanted them all to sleep in the same bed when he returned from being away for several months. Stephan stated [MS] always needed human contact when going to sleep, Stephan referred to it as "snuggling"

...

Just wanted to highlight this, because -- if true -- I think there's something that got badly missed: MS specifically did not want to sleep with SS that night. Though how it reads is that he's trying to say it was by her request that they slept together, I think the truth is obvious that she wanted them all to sleep in the same bed when he returned so she would not have to sleep alone with him.

 

[Litig8r]

Just wanted to highlight this, because -- if true -- I think there's something that got badly missed: MS specifically did not want to sleep with SS that night. Though how it reads is that he's trying to say it was by her request that they slept together, I think the truth is obvious that she wanted them all to sleep in the same bed when he returned so she would not have to sleep alone with him.

This. Exactly this. I was just going to say this very thing. MS could have felt like sleeping with JS with SS in the house would have been the least likely way he’d get at her. If JS said no, MS may have offered that they all slept there together as a way of trying to negotiate getting JS to let her (MS) to sleep with her rather than being alone somewhere else with SS in the house.

I firmly believe the only person that ever “needed” (in his own sick mind) “cuddling” or “snuggling” when falling asleep was SS, and by “cuddling” or “snuggling” he meant access to SA MS. But in his stupidity in all its glory, he projected this onto MS.

This idiot thinks he’s smarter than everyone else as evidenced by his online presence, and his interjecting himself when JS was being questioned by cops at Gma’s office, among other things. Really, SS? YOU need to be the one to loudly step up and answer (over her own mother, no less) when the officer asked for Madeline’s last name? Who does this guy think he is?

I suspect JS has some shortcomings when it comes to critical thinking, judgement and even ordinary things like how to put your pants on 101.

 

[Anika]

This. Exactly this. I was just going to say this very thing. MS could have felt like sleeping with JS with SS in the house would have been the least likely way he’d get at her. If JS said no, MS may have offered that they all slept there together as a way of trying to negotiate getting JS to let her (MS) to sleep with her rather than being alone somewhere else with SS in the house.

I firmly believe the only person that ever “needed” (in his own sick mind) “cuddling” or “snuggling” when falling asleep was SS, and by “cuddling” or “snuggling” he meant access to SA MS. But in his stupidity in all its glory, he projected this onto MS.

This idiot thinks he’s smarter than everyone else as evidenced by his online presence, and his interjecting himself when JS was being questioned by cops at Gma’s office, among other things. Really, SS? YOU need to be the one to loudly step up and answer (over her own mother, no less) when the officer asked for Madeline’s last name? Who does this guy think he is?

I suspect JS has some shortcomings when it comes to critical thinking, judgement and even ordinary things like how to put your pants on 101.

I wasn't convinced previously, and thought maybe it was an accident (SA gone badly/gone too far -- still absolutely vile, but hopefully this isn't coming across wrongly); as of today, I'm swinging more towards "Rejection anger" and absolutely intentional, as a cause of this.

 

[Observant-ADHD-ENFP-BSc]

At around 6:25 in this video, GH is talking about cell phone pings/car sightings and GH, IMO, speculates that SS dad, CS, was at the party because of CS phone pinging in that area. IMO this is GH guessing or speculating that CS was there, not a fact that CS was there. JMO, MOO

DBM - I had not read the update on SS having CS phone. Thank you @Megnut

 

[Megnut]

Wasn't there a day the neighbors saw MS walking her dog? But wasn't she staying at her grandma's that week? Do we know when MS last slept at home? Could she have been at her grandma's right up to her party?

We haven't heard anything about her actual birthday, besides the reference to her being unhappy about not getting money. No special dinner, no mention of anything.

Was that night possibly her first night back?

I believe GHI plotted her phone pings at the party. Did he have her pings moving from home TO the party?

Why is it so unclear where everyone was?

The only thing that is clear is that SS was where he never should have been.

She deserved a life without him in it.

JMO

 

[Megnut]

It just occurred to me that he could have dropped in for 10 minutes to drop off a gift, card, or money to MS, maybe not even entering the house. My kids' grandpa,my father-in-law, is a retired teacher who does not like large groups of kids and is high on sugar at birthday parties. I wonder why.
Anyway, he always tells the kids he will come to the party, so keeps to his promise but it is normally a very, quick Happy birthday, here is your gift, bye drop in. He is likely around the same age as CS.

I think this was corrected when GH got more information. It was never CS, it was SS with CS's phone. Not AT the party, traveling nearby enroute from NP.

JMO

 

[Gemmie]

Wasn't there a day the neighbors saw MS walking her dog? But wasn't she staying at her grandma's that week? Do we know when MS last slept at home? Could she have been at her grandma's right up to her party?

Pg 61: they did not remember seeing her return from school on Monday or Tuesday. They believed the last time they saw her was Saturday or Sunday, when she was walking the family dog which caught their eye, because [JS] usually walked the dog

I believe GHI plotted her phone pings at the party. Did he have her pings moving from home TO the party?

No. GH wouldn't have anything that's not in the data dump. The first of the ping info is on Pg 446. At the top of the data on that first page it says:

02/25/2024 18:05 – 19:47 hours

Party started around 3pm. So ~3 hrs before the ping maps. Pg 32:

According to REDACTED, Maddie had her birthday party on February 25, 2024, beginning at 1500 hours and ending at an unknown time.

 

[Observant-ADHD-ENFP-BSc]

This picture shows how close SS. came to the party he's the red pings and the green house is where the party was. ( maddi already left by then)

Maybe he was waiting a little ways away to know when they left and followed slowly, hence arriving just after.
That would make sense if she had already left. Did the Aunt pass by him at some point?

 

[ttjo]

Maybe he was waiting a little ways away to know when they left and followed slowly, hence arriving just after.
That would make sense if she had already left. Did the Aunt pass by him at some point?

There does seem to be a little interruption in his flow of travel at one point like he was stalling. if you look at all the time stamps on that video. Im hoping that L/E has more info on what happened before.

 

[Mack the Knife]

Still only halfway through the documents, but I think I’m getting a better picture of what happened on Sunday night, or of the narrative that I think the state/prosecution will put forth: SS had moved out of the home in late 2023 because of a possible job opportunity, but was not really broken up with JS or out of the Sotos’ lives. He planned to move back into the home full time, and MS’s birthday weekend was his first weekend back, or his first weekend back in a while. Because it had been a while, when JS wanted to sleep alone that night, SS took advantage of the opportunity and intended to sexually assault MS, as he had many times before. Possibly also because it had been a while, maybe MS reacted differently (eg. she may have resisted), or things didn’t happen in the way that they had for the past several years, resulting in SS killing MS. He took the next few hours to try and figure out how to cover it up, and figured his best option was to pretend he was taking her to school.

Speculation only, of course, but I don’t at all think SS set out that day with the intention of killing MS or killing MS that night. I’m thinking that after his sustained absence that he expected he could slip right back into his old patterns of sexually abusing MS, that he was wrong and things didn’t go smoothly like he was used to, so he killed her in an attempt to maintain control.

 

[ttjo]

reposting this: Found Deceased - FL - Madeline Soto, 13, Missing Child Alert, 13500 blk Town Loop Blvd, Orlando, 26 Feb 2024 *arrest* #9

 

[Odeto BJ]

Still only halfway through the documents, but I think I’m getting a better picture of what happened on Sunday night, or of the narrative that I think the state/prosecution will put forth: SS had moved out of the home in late 2023 because of a possible job opportunity, but was not really broken up with JS or out of the Sotos’ lives. He planned to move back into the home full time, and MS’s birthday weekend was his first weekend back, or his first weekend back in a while. Because it had been a while, when JS wanted to sleep alone that night, SS took advantage of the opportunity and intended to sexually assault MS, as he had many times before. Possibly also because it had been a while, maybe MS reacted differently (eg. she may have resisted), or things didn’t happen in the way that they had for the past several years, resulting in SS killing MS. He took the next few hours to try and figure out how to cover it up, and figured his best option was to pretend he was taking her to school.

Speculation only, of course, but I don’t at all think SS set out that day with the intention of killing MS or killing MS that night. I’m thinking that after his sustained absence that he expected he could slip right back into his old patterns of sexually abusing MS, that he was wrong and things didn’t go smoothly like he was used to, so he killed her in an attempt to maintain control.

I concur with all of this and will speculate that MS threatened SS that night, that she had figured out that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I believe the friends were her grandmother and grandfather, that JS had committed a betrayal in permitting SS to return and MS had concluded that she could not place any faith in her mother when it came time to expose SS so she had to look to others. I think she threatened SS with going to her grandmother and/or grandfather, and SS recognized that his control had expired and his freedom at risk.
MS's disappointment about her birthday, the party's low attendance, the absence of both her mother and the expected cash gift, as well as the apparent and expanding division between MS and JS all played some role in events coming to a head but I believe there was a trigger that caused SS to take action at this point in time, that he did not set up the whole visit with the intent of killing MS. Her verbalized threat was that trigger.
All speculation and MOO.

 

[Gemmie]

This picture shows how close SS. came to the party he's the red pings and the green house is where the party was. ( maddi already left by then)

That's only because it's the most direct way to Maddie's house from North Port. At least according to Google maps.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/North+Port,+FL/4012+Santa+Maria+Dr,+Kissimmee,+FL+34741/@28.3288038,-81.4815645,13z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x88c3537f8357d511:0x20c1781782e930ac!2m2!1d-82.2359254!2d27.044224!1m5!1m1!1s0x88dd815902a5588f:0xe4a9ed838bf6db41!2m2!1d-81.442276!2d28.3140782?entry=ttu