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

[Cartie]

"Investigators said around 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Sterns was believed to have dropped the teen off a few blocks from Hunter's Creek Middle School, which OCPS confirmed is where Soto

Investigators also say Sterns was spotted returning to the family's Kissimmee apartment complex around 8:19 a.m. with the missing teen in the car.

Bold move by SS to take a dead MS back to the family home and also in the time frame that he is supposed to be on the school run

 

[CuriousCricket]

Agree. @Rolypolyoly pointed out, that whoever paid for not going to police even more cuplable.

I've been pondering this, too. If SS's mother paid to keep a son out of trouble, we wander into that powerful "maternal instinct" territory. At the age he was then, I suspect many mothers would do the same thing, thinking it was a wild phase he'd outgrow. At that stage, too, so many mamas still see the young men as their "babies" they need to protect. So many kids are extremely wild and just plain stupid at that age, if every criminal activity was punished to the max, our system could not handle them.

Years after graduation, I ran into a classmate who shared with me what a wild group he ran with who were guilty of activities that "today would be considered criminal." He and most of the group outgrew those tendencies and became what appear to be good citizens.

However, said classmate did share that within his group was one boy who was so far beyond any of the others . . . well, it was no surprise to those running buddies that he'd gone to prison for rape, escaped and when last seen was trying to raise a grubstake to grow marijuana in Alaska.

Another friend, a minister, told me that he and his group of friends often "borrowed" a row boat kept along the river so they could adventure all day on an island. Looking back, my friend said he felt sure the boat's owner knew the boys were "borrowing" his boat, but he never reported them so he could look back with happy memories on that time. I've never known a more sedate man than my minister friend.

At the ages of SS and his friends at the time of the images-on-the-computer, could any mother have known whether her son would go no further than photos or would wind up the incredible horror that SS appears to be?

The law makes special provision for spouses not to testify against each other. Frankly, before this, I've wondered why spouses but not mothers - maybe even fathers.

With our hindsight back across the years to SS's youth, it's easy to see. For anyone caught up in the tangle at the time, I have to wonder how many would make the same choice as SS's mother. Fortunately, I was never faced with that kind of decision.

 

[Megnut]

Bold move by SS to take a dead MS back to the family home and also in the time frame that he is supposed to be on the school run

When/how did he get her backpack and laptop?

It appears he was trying to lay an appearance of picking her up and taking her to school in order to have more time to hide her body.

Masquerading as someone her mom could trust.

Violation on every level.

Lock him up. Throw away the prison.

 

[daybreaking]

It has crossed my mind that the so-called advice (about pregnancy and death, etc) SS was providing on Reddit under the name Sustinet could have been him covertly chatting w Madeline under her online name.

I'm glad that someone else saw what I saw there.

There's usually a algorithm to how someone would run across a specific post over there.

It could be in one of the default subreddits - But AdviceForTeens isn't one.

It could be a popular post, with lots of replies. The first comment in that subreddit was on a post with less than 100 upvotes - So it's not that.

I've seen the theory that it was fishing on his part, however, there's a two hour difference between the post and when he replied : 2/11/24, 3:04 PM for the original post, 5:09 PM for the comment. I don't know that he'd have waited that long to comment if he had created the original post.

The post specifically says that the poster is a 19 year old female with a 23 year old male, and in a long term relationship.

The ages listed are adults.

It's slightly odd that the original poster would post that in 'AdviceForTeens' - I don't know many people that really considered themselves 'Teens' at 19.

This was SS's response:
"Like it or not, this is something you may need some help with. You may be scared or embarrassed to talk to a trusted friend or family member, but it's probably the right thing to do. You need to get ahead of this. You need a gameplan. You need support."

That response is absolutely bizarre to tell an adult woman in a long term relationship considering termination. If you take the original post at face value, the poster has support - She's in a long-term relationship.

You'll also notice that it's nothing like anyone else replied with, either.

His comment would only make sense if he suspected the actual age of the person posting.

He'd be aware if this were Madeline's Reddit account simply by looking at her phone or laptop - The account name would be visible on the top of the webpage, and the account that posted this was created several weeks before the post. He had time to find it and follow it.

I may be seeing connections that aren't there, but between how unusual it'd be for him to suddenly find that subreddit after eight years, and the inappropriateness of the comment to the actual content of the post, something may be up there.

 

[photographer4]

He said she was “sleeping” on the drive to school. He didn’t mention how he woke her up right?

I wonder - did he pick her up early and drug her in the car and that’s how she ends up driving around dead with him as he dumps her things? Why does he go back to the condo where he dumped her things with her dead body?

 

[photographer4]

I'm glad that someone else saw what I saw there.

There's usually a algorithm to how someone would run across a specific post over there.

It could be in one of the default subreddits - But AdviceForTeens isn't one.

It could be a popular post, with lots of replies. The first comment in that subreddit was on a post with less than 100 upvotes - So it's not that.

I've seen the theory that it was fishing on his part, however, there's a two hour difference between the post and when he replied : 2/11/24, 3:04 PM for the original post, 5:09 PM for the comment. I don't know that he'd have waited that long to comment if he had created the original post.

The post specifically says that the poster is a 19 year old female with a 23 year old male, and in a long term relationship.

The ages listed are adults.

It's slightly odd that the original poster would post that in 'AdviceForTeens' - I don't know many people that really considered themselves 'Teens' at 19.

This was SS's response:
"Like it or not, this is something you may need some help with. You may be scared or embarrassed to talk to a trusted friend or family member, but it's probably the right thing to do. You need to get ahead of this. You need a gameplan. You need support."

That response is absolutely bizarre to tell an adult woman in a long term relationship considering termination. If you take the original post at face value, the poster has support - She's in a long-term relationship.

You'll also notice that it's nothing like anyone else replied with, either.

His comment would only make sense if he suspected the actual age of the person posting.

He'd be aware if this were Madeline's Reddit account simply by looking at her phone or laptop - The account name would be visible on the top of the webpage, and the account that posted this was created several weeks before the post. He had time to find it and follow it.

I may be seeing connections that aren't there, but between how unusual it'd be for him to suddenly find that subreddit after eight years, and the inappropriateness of the comment to the actual content of the post, something may be up there.

For those who don’t know, you can use a website to conjure up deleted Reddit posts. There are a few free variations. I think revvedit is one. I didn’t have time to go do this to see what he may have deleted or been shadow banned for. Not sure how well the website works but it may be worth a shot to check out his username there. May also be interesting to look at other posts by the askteens poster who was pregnant (but they said they were from Georgia, and I thought that was the place not the State?). Just a thought.

 

[daybreaking]

For those who don’t know, you can use a website to conjure up deleted Reddit posts. There are a few free variations. I think revvedit is one. I didn’t have time to go do this to see what he may have deleted or been shadow banned for. Not sure how well the website works but it may be worth a shot to check out his username there. May also be interesting to look at other posts by the askteens poster who was pregnant (but they said they were from Georgia, and I thought that was the place not the State?). Just a thought.

His three comments in AdviceForTeens were to three different accounts.

The pregnant one doesn't mention location, and only posts once.

 

[Gemmie]

He posted a lot of gifts for “step daughter,” over timeframe of 7 months to 3 years ago.

View attachment 487888

What makes me sad is they were probably given as "rewards" for "good" behavior (allowing stuff and not complaining).

 

[Forest_Wood]

I'm glad that someone else saw what I saw there.

There's usually a algorithm to how someone would run across a specific post over there.

It could be in one of the default subreddits - But AdviceForTeens isn't one.

It could be a popular post, with lots of replies. The first comment in that subreddit was on a post with less than 100 upvotes - So it's not that.

I've seen the theory that it was fishing on his part, however, there's a two hour difference between the post and when he replied : 2/11/24, 3:04 PM for the original post, 5:09 PM for the comment. I don't know that he'd have waited that long to comment if he had created the original post.

The post specifically says that the poster is a 19 year old female with a 23 year old male, and in a long term relationship.

The ages listed are adults.

It's slightly odd that the original poster would post that in 'AdviceForTeens' - I don't know many people that really considered themselves 'Teens' at 19.

This was SS's response:
"Like it or not, this is something you may need some help with. You may be scared or embarrassed to talk to a trusted friend or family member, but it's probably the right thing to do. You need to get ahead of this. You need a gameplan. You need support."

That response is absolutely bizarre to tell an adult woman in a long term relationship considering termination. If you take the original post at face value, the poster has support - She's in a long-term relationship.

You'll also notice that it's nothing like anyone else replied with, either.

His comment would only make sense if he suspected the actual age of the person posting.

He'd be aware if this were Madeline's Reddit account simply by looking at her phone or laptop - The account name would be visible on the top of the webpage, and the account that posted this was created several weeks before the post. He had time to find it and follow it.

I may be seeing connections that aren't there, but between how unusual it'd be for him to suddenly find that subreddit after eight years, and the inappropriateness of the comment to the actual content of the post, something may be up there.

Thank you @daybreaking for responding to my post. I have not read any of the original posts from others on reddit. I was commenting only on what SS wrote on his end of the conversation from a link someone here posted directly to his account. It just seemed odd to me that he would be commenting on topics like pregnancy and teen girls not getting along w their mothers. Why would he even be interested in things like that is what I was curious about. Then I thought well, perhaps those were issues that Madeline was dealing with and perhaps he knew Madeline had posted about them (because he might have knowledge of her online names or passwords even) and he wanted to insert himself into her online posts without her knowing it was him. I hope it's understandable where I was going with my thoughts here. It's all very weird what you noticed too. JMO.

 

[WinnieBee]

I'll have to re-watch tomorrow, but I seem to remember her mother saying that Maddie was excited to show her gifts, so maybe the Zoom call thing fits. But, she's also said that Maddie came straight home, changed, and went to bed, without using her phone or laptop, so if that is true, the Zoom thing doesn't fit at all. So, once again, different stories from the same person IMO. It might be me misremembering her statements (there's a LOT that's happened the past week, especially since Wednesday). I'd like to know when and how much time her mother actually physically spent time with Maddie between her actual birthday and Sunday night.

What makes me sad is they were probably given as "rewards" for "good" behavior (allowing stuff and not complaining).

 

[Hestia's Fire]

I get an email from Reddit every day with some suggested posts it thinks I might like. Usually they're in subreddits I follow, but sometimes they'll throw in something completely random and I'll realize it's because I randomly clicked on a link in that subreddit while doing a Google search for something. Like maybe I'm having an issue with something in my Chrome browser so I search for a solution, click on a search result for someone on reddit having the same issue, and then reddit starts sending me suggested posts from the Chrome subreddit even though I didn't join, just read one random post there.

I wonder if SS was googling things about teen girls fighting with their moms (ie, how to make teen girls fight with their moms to keep MS and JS at odds with each other for his own purposes) or teen pregnancy (because looking at MS's birthday photo was extremely alarming to me compared to how her body appeared in every other photo I've seen of her) and he ended up getting some suggested posts from reddit on those topics...

 

[Boxer]

I'm glad that someone else saw what I saw there.

There's usually a algorithm to how someone would run across a specific post over there.

It could be in one of the default subreddits - But AdviceForTeens isn't one.

It could be a popular post, with lots of replies. The first comment in that subreddit was on a post with less than 100 upvotes - So it's not that.

I've seen the theory that it was fishing on his part, however, there's a two hour difference between the post and when he replied : 2/11/24, 3:04 PM for the original post, 5:09 PM for the comment. I don't know that he'd have waited that long to comment if he had created the original post.

The post specifically says that the poster is a 19 year old female with a 23 year old male, and in a long term relationship.

The ages listed are adults.

It's slightly odd that the original poster would post that in 'AdviceForTeens' - I don't know many people that really considered themselves 'Teens' at 19.

This was SS's response:
"Like it or not, this is something you may need some help with. You may be scared or embarrassed to talk to a trusted friend or family member, but it's probably the right thing to do. You need to get ahead of this. You need a gameplan. You need support."

That response is absolutely bizarre to tell an adult woman in a long term relationship considering termination. If you take the original post at face value, the poster has support - She's in a long-term relationship.

You'll also notice that it's nothing like anyone else replied with, either.

His comment would only make sense if he suspected the actual age of the person posting.

He'd be aware if this were Madeline's Reddit account simply by looking at her phone or laptop - The account name would be visible on the top of the webpage, and the account that posted this was created several weeks before the post. He had time to find it and follow it.

I may be seeing connections that aren't there, but between how unusual it'd be for him to suddenly find that subreddit after eight years, and the inappropriateness of the comment to the actual content of the post, something may be up there.

The tone of all this concerned bloviating on social media reminds me of James Chadwell who also smarmily opined on moral matters and then kidnapped and almost killed a young girl in Lafayette Ind.
A nimble, responsive police force was able to save that girl in the middle of a savage attack.
Maddie had no allies who were aware to help her.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

I agree. He sounded in absolute shock about what Stephan did. The caller was just relaying what he knows and he did nothing wrong from anything he relayed. I hope he is not going to be judged by the general public for that.

He’s an anonymous caller to the GH show claiming to be an ex-friend.

I’m not going to judge him but I’ll take everything he says with a healthy dose of skepticism and a side of salt.

 

[Pruddennce]

My point exactly. So far this case has been like reading the last page of a book, then being asked to take a test.

We get hints of Maddie’s life, but no real facts. I have some thoughts about what her life was like, but they are not TOS observant. I’m hoping we hear about Maddie from the paternal side of the family soon.

yes, kind of bare bones. IIRC, only one family member gave a brief statement when it was announced she was missing. Madeline's aunt. she basically just told the reporter she is not a runaway, she would never do that and of course concerned for her safety.

 

[scapa]

For those who don’t know, you can use a website to conjure up deleted Reddit posts. There are a few free variations. I think revvedit is one. I didn’t have time to go do this to see what he may have deleted or been shadow banned for. Not sure how well the website works but it may be worth a shot to check out his username there. May also be interesting to look at other posts by the askteens poster who was pregnant (but they said they were from Georgia, and I thought that was the place not the State?). Just a thought.

Good tip. I'd already searched 2 of the 4 main Reddit archives and nothing popped up under his usual handle. Possible of course that he had others but I suspect that SS was more an opportunistic predator who represented himself on SM as that version of himself who was not only NOT a predator but someone who saw the world clearly and would spot and dispatch those he found.

Inadvertently of course, he may have done just that. Unfortunately, MS did not survive him.

 

[photographer4]

Bold move by SS to take a dead MS back to the family home and also in the time frame that he is supposed to be on the school run

Right? But what made him decide to do this? We know earlier he was there to dump things in the dumpster (7:35am per LE presser). We do not know if she was with him (living or dead) at that point. Where did he go immediately after he dumped her backpack? Did he go pick her up and then return there for some reason? What reason? Did he dash into his unit to get something? Drop off something? Very curious to me that he stopped BACK there but with Madeline, possibly a deceased Madeline. How long was he there for? And of course, where did he / they go next? Did he make calls? Text anyone? Google anything? I hope police fry him. Ugh.

 

[Rolypolyoly]

I've been pondering this, too. If SS's mother paid to keep a son out of trouble, we wander into that powerful "maternal instinct" territory. At the age he was then, I suspect many mothers would do the same thing, thinking it was a wild phase he'd outgrow. At that stage, too, so many mamas still see the young men as their "babies" they need to protect. So many kids are extremely wild and just plain stupid at that age, if every criminal activity was punished to the max, our system could not handle them.

Years after graduation, I ran into a classmate who shared with me what a wild group he ran with who were guilty of activities that "today would be considered criminal." He and most of the group outgrew those tendencies and became what appear to be good citizens.

However, said classmate did share that within his group was one boy who was so far beyond any of the others . . . well, it was no surprise to those running buddies that he'd gone to prison for rape, escaped and when last seen was trying to raise a grubstake to grow marijuana in Alaska.

Another friend, a minister, told me that he and his group of friends often "borrowed" a row boat kept along the river so they could adventure all day on an island. Looking back, my friend said he felt sure the boat's owner knew the boys were "borrowing" his boat, but he never reported them so he could look back with happy memories on that time. I've never known a more sedate man than my minister friend.

At the ages of SS and his friends at the time of the images-on-the-computer, could any mother have known whether her son would go no further than photos or would wind up the incredible horror that SS appears to be?

The law makes special provision for spouses not to testify against each other. Frankly, before this, I've wondered why spouses but not mothers - maybe even fathers.

With our hindsight back across the years to SS's youth, it's easy to see. For anyone caught up in the tangle at the time, I have to wonder how many would make the same choice as SS's mother. Fortunately, I was never faced with that kind of decision.

Are you kidding me?

Making off with someone's boat for the day is stupid teenage fun, downloading sexual images of children is not comparable!.

If you can look at that as a teenager then you're already twisted and there's only one reason to keep it on your computer! It either turns you on or it doesn't, and if it does it always will and you (not you personally) need professional help to try to keep those urges under control, and you certainly don't need to be entering into relationships with women with children!.
Please don't diminish the severity of anyone ever downloading such material and always remember that for every image out there a child's life has been irreversibly damaged.

 

[Megnut]

He said she was “sleeping” on the drive to school. He didn’t mention how he woke her up right?

I wonder - did he pick her up early and drug her in the car and that’s how she ends up driving around dead with him as he dumps her things? Why does he go back to the condo where he dumped her things with her dead body?

If she slept at home that night, I don't know how or why he'd leave with her in the morning and return, to dump her items.

Is it possible he created a chain of deception?

For example, she does to talk to her mom, by phone/face on her way home from her party but never makes it inside. SS tells Mom she was so, so tired she went straight to bed, and Mom has no reason to question/test it. Believed MS was asleep in her room all night.

The next morning, he had to get her backpack -- was Mom home? at work? Asleep? Awake? Did he say he was grabbing her backpack and she was already in the car? Things that would seem believable -- so having her in the car was a necessary 'proof of life' prop in order to give himself the day for concealment, he just needed to manipulate Mom into thinking he'd brought MS home from the party, picked her up and there she is, already waiting in the car....

Accomplished gaslighter. Fool tried to gaslight the media too. Taking the blame for the lesser sin -- as if something bad happened to MS after he dropped her off, short of school (as if he had). Smokescreen for what he did before the imaginary drop off. Made a grotesque play for sympathy.

Breaks my heart to think of all the mind bending he's been doing.

Nothing short of evil.

Jmo

 

[Walela]

He said she was “sleeping” on the drive to school. He didn’t mention how he woke her up right?

I wonder - did he pick her up early and drug her in the car and that’s how she ends up driving around dead with him as he dumps her things? Why does he go back to the condo where he dumped her things with her dead body?

My thoughts only......he stayed the night with JS and family. He drugged MS, as I believe he had done many times prior to this night, only he gave her a little too much or what he gave her was laced with some other drug and she died. He went into her room at whatever time he felt safe doing so (probably had done this many times..wait until everyone is asleep) and discovered she was not alive. Panic. After the initial panic and some planning, he returns to the bed with JS who is still asleep and waits until it''s almost time to awaken and tells JS he's getting up early and will take Maddie to school so she can sleep in a bit longer. He gets Maddie out of the house under the cover of darkness and into his car. Gets her school things into the car and leaves. FAIK he could have stayed parked in the parking lot until he was on camera putting her school things in the dumpster or he could have driven around in the complex and parked somewhere out of the way. I haven't heard if he was coming or going when he was at the dumpster. I believe when he was on camera returning, he was either checking to see if JS car was still there or he overlooked something that maybe had fallen out of the car and had to retrieve it. I haven't heard if the camera caught him doing anything on that return trip. We don't know where in the complex the cameras are located, how many there are, or how many captured his movements.

Since this is the only place I'm following this, my speculations are limited.

 

[TwoBlueJays]

Right? But what made him decide to do this? We know earlier he was there to dump things in the dumpster (7:35am per LE presser). We do not know if she was with him (living or dead) at that point. Where did he go immediately after he dumped her backpack? Did he go pick her up and then return there for some reason? What reason? Did he dash into his unit to get something? Drop off something? Very curious to me that he stopped BACK there but with Madeline, possibly a deceased Madeline. How long was he there for? And of course, where did he / they go next? Did he make calls? Text anyone? Google anything? I hope police fry him. Ugh.

IMO, this guy was stupid. Something triggered him, actions were taken, MS died, he panicked. I can see him driving around the area with her IN the car, while he continued to panic. I think the same stupidity caused him to hand his phone right over to LE, and thank goodness for that. Honestly, I do believe that if a reporter or LEO had pushed harder in that interview he would have actually incriminated himself.