Found Deceased FL - Madeline Soto, 13, Missing Child Alert, 13500 blk Town Loop Blvd, Orlando, 26 Feb 2024 *arrest* #8

[Megnut]

Another observation...

Referencing the incident report by Deputy Joseph (10644), it seems he first took a statement from the stepfather who provided that he dropped his daughter off at school, and when the mother went to the school, she was not there.

Assuming Joseph next took JS verbal and written sworn statement in private, she told Deputy Joseph that she observed MS getting dressed for school, and the step-father, SS, took her to school--dropping her off near the intersection of Town Loop Blvd and Hunter's Park. In her sworn statement, JS did NOT use the proverbial "we," and did not insert herself into the act of taking MS away from the property.

Similarly, in SS's verbal and written sworn statement later given to Deputy Joseph (date/time unknown, and half a line redacted), he also avoided the use of "we," cited during earlier interviews, and only referenced himself as dropping MS off, approximately one block away from the school.

I think it follows that JS first talked to Joseph prior to giving MSM interviews, and I think it significant that when talking to LE, she did not insert herself with act of taking MS away from the property.

I think JS initially telling media "we" took MS to school was most likely a statement of unity suggested to her, but I also observed JS correcting herself (without being prompted), that she did not actually accompany SS and MS to school. JMO

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/attachments/screenshot-2024-03-07-at-10-38-12-png.489549/

Good catches.

I also think JS may have been representing that SS didn't stay at the house anymore. Those media WE's may have been for the benefit of family who might have voiced objections to SS.

I saw her getting dressed.
He picked her up.
We took her to school.

What makes absolutely no sense -- coming from SS's ridiculous profuse apology -- that they were planning to pick Maddie up from school together. Really? Why? In the history of ever, had they ever done that? Rubbish.

JMO

 

[DoctorRose]

Good catches.

I also think JS may have been representing that SS didn't stay at the house anymore. Those media WE's may have been for the benefit of family who might have voiced objections to SS.

I saw her getting dressed.
He picked her up.
We took her to school.

What makes absolutely no sense -- coming from SS's ridiculous profuse apology -- that they were planning to pick Maddie up from school together. Really? Why? In the history of ever, had they ever done that? Rubbish.

JMO

I previously had understood that he was supposed to go along for pickup so they could go straight to Costco or whatever right after. Otherwise yeah that doesn’t make sense.

 

[Seattle1]

In Florida, Child Endangerment is a felony -- good to know.

I can't think of any reason why JS can't be charged with CE at a minimum, and probably multiple counts.

If JS was self medicating for her personal health issues, she was not able to supervise her own child. From the Court docs, we know this was since age 8!

I hope the silence surrounding JS is because a Grand Jury is busy reviewing the evidence.

What Constitutes Child Endangerment in Florida?​

Child endangerment covers a broad scope of actions under Florida law. You may be charged with child endangerment if it is deemed that you have failed to provide a child with adequate care. The term "care" encompasses a wide variety of factors.

Nutrition and food, proper clothing, safe housing, adequate supervision, and providing the appropriate medical services to a child in need are all covered under the law. Furthermore, you may face child endangerment charges if you fail to report or protect a child from abuse by another person. Additionally, if you are found to have knowingly and willingly put a child in a dangerous situation, you may face charges.

You may be charged with child endangerment regarding any child in your primary care at the time of the incident, whether or not they are your child. This means that any child you are babysitting or caring for in a school setting, or daycare is your primary responsibility for that designated time. You may be arrested and charged if they are determined to be endangered while in your care.

It is important to note that child endangerment charges may be considered an act of domestic violence. Violent charges reflect just as poorly on your record and can severely limit your future freedoms.

Penalties for Child Endangerment in Florida​

In the state of Florida, all child endangerment charges are felonies, and the penalties are steep. You may face fines that amount to thousands of dollars as well as years in prison. If you are convicted, it is almost certain that you will lose custody of your children or be banned from contact with the child you are charged with neglecting.

Once you lose custody, several things may happen. You may not be allowed to have any contact with your child at all, or you may be restricted to supervised visits with a trusted family member or social worker. It will be up to the courts to determine visitation stipulations, as well as the time-frame for a no-contact order. If there are other children in your care, they may also be taken out of your custody even if the charges did not pertain to them.

Felony charges remain on your record in the state of Florida permanently. You must report them on most job applications, to housing authorities, and when applying for specific professional licenses and purchasing firearms. Depending on the case, you may not be able to have the charge expunged in the future, which means that it will follow you permanently.

Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine

 

[Observant-ADHD-ENFP-BSc]

My guess is she was asked if Maddie ever slept in the same bed as SS without her there and she wanted them to know (as if they could not tell already) that she prioritized her wants and needs over her child’s safety.

Anxiety is a preemptive excuse for why she allowed her boyfriend to sleep with her child because even she could realize that the police do not ask you very specific questions about sleeping arrangements for no reason.

Many people battle mental illness every day but I have never seen it used as an attempt to excuse aberrant behavior as many times as I have in reviewing the police statements from SS and JS in this case. It is in everything from why they did not go searching to why JS encouraged dangerous sleeping arrangements. You cannot use mental illness as a crutch to excuse away the inexcusable.

Where did JS use mental illness as a crutch to excuse? Do you have a link for that?
Am I missing a new development?

 

[Seattle1]

Good catches.

I also think JS may have been representing that SS didn't stay at the house anymore. Those media WE's may have been for the benefit of family who might have voiced objections to SS.

I saw her getting dressed.
He picked her up.
We took her to school.

What makes absolutely no sense -- coming from SS's ridiculous profuse apology -- that they were planning to pick Maddie up from school together. Really? Why? In the history of ever, had they ever done that? Rubbish.

JMO

I think the same about fiction vs reality on how often SS stayed away. A woman I know to have ties to Telemundo sources was a guest on Duty Ron on 5/27. IMO, if JS does not surface on surveillance from her place of employment (i.e., Discovery dump) on date of the party, I'd say JS did not attend MS's birthday party due to bad blood with her family over SS, versus a work commitment. JMO

 

[BeeGirl]

Where did JS use mental illness as a crutch to excuse? Do you have a link for that?
Am I missing a new development?

Right here in this article quoting police documents where she was questioned about the normalcy of allowing her child to sleep alone in a bed with SS and she says it was a normal occurrence she not only knew about but encouraged due to her anxiety:

When asked if it was normal that Stephan and Madeline would sleep together without her being there, she said yes, statements say.

"(Jennifer Soto) stated if she needed a good night sleep due to her anxiety, she would ask them (Stephan and Madeline) to sleep in a different bedroom."

 

[photographer4]

Where did JS use mental illness as a crutch to excuse? Do you have a link for that?
Am I missing a new development?

She used her “anxiety” & need of a good night sleep as a “reason” to send MS to sleep with Ss. Alone. In another room. That’s according to her own statement to LE which has been discussed quite a lot in this thread. Police: Madeline Soto’s mom said it was normal for teen to sleep in stepfather’s bed

Anxiety is a mental health disorder on its own: Anxiety Disorders: Types, Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

She could have been on prescription medication for it or self medicating (street acquired or overusing prescriptions). I believe it was Ss who told Le they stayed home and were using Ativan on Feb 25, the first night Ms was reported missing (per the recent audio interview we heard in the last week or so - MoO as I don’t happen to have a link handy).

It JS also noted on her own social media that she was bi-polar which has also been discussed here earlier in the case. No link at the moment as she or someone deleted her social media but it was linked to earlier in the case threads. I don’t know if she was on medication for that at all (prescribed or self medicated).

It does seem Js has a history of mental health issues. Diagnosed by a doctor or just self diagnosed is as yet unclear to my knowledge. In either case (diagnosed or self diagnosed), mental health issues should not excuse her incredibly poor decision making when it came to her child (sharing the “marital” bed with her, sending her to sleep alone in another room with SS, not bothering to search for her - just waiting at home for the child / possibly getting drugged up if we believe SS on this matter (this one, I do believe). I believe these issues alone constitute CE and I believe she should be charged accordingly.

 

[Forest_Wood]

My guess is she was asked if Maddie ever slept in the same bed as SS without her there and she wanted them to know (as if they could not tell already) that she prioritized her wants and needs over her child’s safety.

Anxiety is a preemptive excuse for why she allowed her boyfriend to sleep with her child because even she could realize that the police do not ask you very specific questions about sleeping arrangements for no reason.

Many people battle mental illness every day but I have never seen it used as an attempt to excuse aberrant behavior as many times as I have in reviewing the police statements from SS and JS in this case. It is in everything from why they did not go searching to why JS encouraged dangerous sleeping arrangements. You cannot use mental illness as a crutch to excuse away the inexcusable.

Totally agree! Each of them have used the mental illness excuse during their interviews (I have Anxiety, ADHD, I was out of it after taking Ativan, and so on, as if this is all normal everyday living). What happened to Madeline is inexcusable like you said, and no amount of whining about their mental conditions is going to change that IMO.

 

[BeeGirl]

Totally agree! Each of them have used the mental illness excuse during their interviews (I have Anxiety, ADHD, I was out of it after taking Ativan, and so on, as if this is all normal everyday living). What happened to Madeline is inexcusable like you said, and no amount of whining about their mental conditions is going to change that IMO.

In MOO, it is also disrespectful to all the moms and dads out there struggling with their mental health and still knocking it out of the park for their kids. Having mental health struggles does not make anyone a bad parent, abuse and neglect does. I think it is dangerous to parents with mental health struggles when bad actors try to excuse their abusive or neglectful behavior as mental illness because it stigmatizes mental health (even more than it already is!)

 

[Beekarina]

I have anxiety--medically documented, treated for GAD.

The most perplexing part of this to me, is one of the primary ways it manifests is "overworrying" about my children and those I love. I do not have a daughter, but putting myself in this situation as a mother?!? NOPE! NOPE! NOPE!

One of my siblings has severe anxiety and PTSD and she is insanely protective of her children to the degree that she would not even allow ME to drive them someplace without her in the vehicle or spend the night here. Her kids are young teens, and I am her flipping SISTER--a middle aged mom, with a clean driving record,nothing hinky going on in my home.

I hope she never hears about this case, because it is the sort of thing that would make her even more "over protective."

Certainly everyone is different, but I call complete you know what on JS' "anxiety" being the reason she sent poor MS to sleep with SS.

 

[BrownRice]

He may have brought them up with him the day before on the long drive from his parents' place. Just tossed something in the car for snacking and then left it there when he arrived at his destination, to where he simply had them on-hand as an excuse for why McD's hadn't been necessary after all.

In Florida you can’t leave pastries in the car for the next day (except maybe in December). They’d be a melty mess.

 

[Forest_Wood]

In MOO, it is also disrespectful to all the moms and dads out there struggling with their mental health and still knocking it out of the park for their kids. Having mental health struggles does not make anyone a bad parent, abuse and neglect does. I think it is dangerous to parents with mental health struggles when bad actors try to excuse their abusive or neglectful behavior as mental illness because it stigmatizes mental health (even more than it already is!)

You are correct. Many people experience mental illness to varying degrees (mild depression/anxiety all the way up to the severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia), and they take appropriate action to live normal lives and try to overcome those challenges.

It's those who define themselves by their diagnosis that tend to use it as an excuse for how they live their lives. In her interview, JS used it as an excuse why she asked MS + SS to go to a different room plus it was reported she posted about having bi-polar disorder online. SS used it as an excuse why he couldn't remember details of the night before and stated he had ADHD just like MS and JS.

We rarely hear of people using a physical illness as an excuse for crimes. Such as -- I had a broken leg, therefore, I hit her over the head with my crutch. I have diabetes, therefore, I had a blackout and can't remember what happened when I woke up next to him dead. Those excuses sound ridiculous in the context of physical ailments, but some people suffer from a common mental impairment, then whip out the labeling and excusing of their behaviour. As if the mental state caused them to do what they've done. No way is that the case here.

MOO.

 

[Gemmie]

It JS also noted on her own social media that she was bi-polar which has also been discussed here earlier in the case. No link at the moment as she or someone deleted her social media but it was linked to earlier in the case threads.

I'll bet JS did it herself. I noticed very early on that she took down LinkedIn and her Petsitting sites. Likely more, I'm not aware of all the places she put herself out there on the internet. I'm sure people with pitchforks were going after her on those sites so shut them down. MOO

 

[photographer4]

Does anyone know if a medical professional diagnosed JS with anxiety & bipolar or did she arrive at these diagnoses on her own? Was medication prescribed or was she relying on street drugs? If prescribed, was she taking the medications consistently as prescribed or over or under medicating?

I have encountered quite a few people who have self diagnosed various mental health concerns and treated themselves with either street drugs or natural medications (eg: St. John’s Wort for depression). Self diagnosis and medicating even with natural products is never a good idea imo.

 

[ttjo]

I think the same about fiction vs reality on how often SS stayed away. A woman I know to have ties to Telemundo sources was a guest on Duty Ron on 5/27. IMO, if JS does not surface on surveillance from her place of employment (i.e., Discovery dump) on date of the party, I'd say JS did not attend MS's birthday party due to bad blood with her family over SS, versus a work commitment. JMO

I agree, I never thought it was about work or "training " as SS said. When grandma said " he came up here for I dont know for what" and after the party Jenn woke up tired and (called, asked, told, him) to bring her or take her, ( very confusing statement with the translations) but it felt like G ma didn't believe he lived with Jenn, or it was secretive. With Jenn not going to the party, I figured there was bad blood. Cant blame them because in his police interview he basically threw them under the bus when he said Maddi didn't get her meds regularly b/c she was staying at her grandparents. which was hogwash. Gma didnt strike me as irresponsible.

 

[Seattle1]

Does anyone know if a medical professional diagnosed JS with anxiety & bipolar or did she arrive at these diagnoses on her own? Was medication prescribed or was she relying on street drugs? If prescribed, was she taking the medications consistently as prescribed or over or under medicating?

I have encountered quite a few people who have self diagnosed various mental health concerns and treated themselves with either street drugs or natural medications (eg: St. John’s Wort for depression). Self diagnosis and medicating even with natural products is never a good idea imo.

Based on the reaction of family and LE, I think it's safe to assume that JS received a professional diagnosis, and is prescribed meds from a licensed physician. I think the same would order the scheduled blood draw we heard about earlier. JMO

 

[photographer4]

I agree, I never thought it was about work or "training " as SS said. When grandma said " he came up here for I dont know for what" and after the party Jenn woke up tired and (called, asked, told, him) to bring her or take her, ( very confusing statement with the translations) but it felt like G ma didn't believe he lived with Jenn, or it was secretive. With Jenn not going to the party, I figured there was bad blood. Cant blame them because in his police interview he basically threw them under the bus when he said Maddi didn't get her meds regularly b/c she was staying at her grandparents. which was hogwash. Gma didnt strike me as irresponsible.

Or…. Maybe they didn’t give her “meds” because they weren’t prescribed to her? Or maybe she stayed with gran over holidays - some kids don’t take them over summer break etc.

 

[Seattle1]

Uploaded by Fox35 Orland on March 6, 2024 but new to me.

Family did not attend MS memorial, and retired Judge Blevin discusses the leak by Sheriff's Office....

 

[Gemmie]

Uploaded by Fox35 Orland on March 6, 2024 but new to me.

Family did not attend MS memorial, and retired Judge Blevin discusses the leak by Sheriff's Office....

That is so sad that Maddie's family wasn't in attendance. Maybe they are getting death threats so decided to not venture out? Just a guess on my part because it's hard to imagine a close family not attending a young girl's funeral. Either way, it's sad all the way around.

 

[Seattle1]

Good to know that FBI is equipped to investigate a suspect/offender such as SS going back years. IMO, he was very sloppy with his digital footprint. Sadly, I doubt MS was his only victim.

Also, I believe they will be able to use the same technology to determine JS location and verify if she was involved in dark web activity, recently, or going back decades. MOO