TIMELINE: Here’s where things stand in Madeline Soto case 1 month after her body was found
Anthony Talcott, Digital Journalist
Published: April 4, 2024 at 11:08 PM
FEBRUARY 26
Madeline Soto was reported missing around 8 p.m. after Stephan Sterns — her mother’s boyfriend — reportedly dropped her off near Hunter’s Creek Middle School.
Soto’s mother went to the school around 4:30 p.m. to pick her up, but she was told that Soto had never come to school that day, according to investigators. In addition, Soto’s phone was left at home.
FEBRUARY 27
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office
issued a release to the public about Soto’s disappearance, asking for information about her whereabouts.
FEBRUARY 28
A
massive search was conducted by the sheriff’s office on Feb. 28.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said that deputies accessed Soto’s phone, finding information that indicated she wanted to live in the woods when she turned 13 years old on Feb. 22.
He also said that deputies searched the area where she was last seen, areas where they’d received tips, and any areas where their investigative leads took them. Ultimately, the search came up empty.
However, the sheriff’s office announced that
Sterns was arrested as the prime suspect in Soto’s disappearance.
In a release, investigators said that detectives discovered “disturbing images” when they searched Sterns’ phone, and a review of the device’s data showed that someone had tried to delete the evidence ahead of time.
The images and videos on his phone were “criminal and sexual in nature,” and detectives were able to pinpoint those crimes to the family’s home in Kissimmee, the release shows.
As a result, Sterns was arrested and held on no bond. He faces charges of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse materials.
“Stephan Sterns had an opportunity tonight to come clean with detectives and help lead them to information about Maddie’s disappearance,” Mina said. “Her loved ones deserve answers, and OCSO and the Kissimmee Police will not stop until we find Maddie.”
[…]
As the investigation into Madeline Soto's death continues, News 6 provides a timeline of events stemming back to her initial disappearance.
www.clickorlando.com