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

[ttjo]

She told the cop on the first night she was home all day and had already gone through the phone belonging to MS - so she didn’t go to an apt I guess. But why go through the phone if she didn’t know the kid was missing yet???

and why did she even bring the phone with her? given that when she left the condo she didnt know Maddi was missing. It doesnt seem like they went to the condo again after discovering she wasnt at school, she just waited at G-ma's business for the cops.

 

[photographer4]

in rewatching the bodycam footage, when JS gets the call from the unknown number, you can see SS tense, holding his breath. After JS says “hi principal”, SS let’s go a deep long exhale.

LE keeps questioning SS and JS family about social media etc and SS does that thing where he answers the question and then keeps trickling out unnecessary information, trying to fill the silence with more words.

Why announce who’s calling to the room??

 

[photographer4]

and why did she even bring the phone with her? given that when she left the condo she didnt know Maddi was missing. It doesnt seem like they went to the condo again after discovering she wasnt at school, she just waited at G-ma's business for the cops.

Do we know that she brought the phone with her though? I thought she found a photo of Ms on her own device, no?

 

[photographer4]

Do we know that she brought the phone with her though? I thought she found a photo of Ms on her own device, no?

Ss could have brought it to her since he was not available to go to the pick up - flat tire and all blah blah blah.

 

[ttjo]

Do we know that she brought the phone with her though? I thought she found a photo of Ms on her own device, no?

well to be fair youre right, how do we know for sure. When she told the cop " I have her phone " I assumed she had it with her or she could have said its at home. She already went through the deleted messages, she had no reason to do that until after she went missing.
true, ss could have brought it to Jenn, he knew " that's when we got the call" I dont know if thats the first thing Id think of tho.
The photo was from Jenn's phone.

 

[Gemmie]

Why announce who’s calling to the room??

I'm thinking because of who was calling. The principal of Maddie's school, which would be about what they were all there for, including LE.

 

[grannygates]

Why announce who’s calling to the room??

she said that she was getting a call from an unknown number and IMO everyone was waiting to see who it was calling

 

[cujenn81]

Do we know that she brought the phone with her though? I thought she found a photo of Ms on her own device, no?

The first responding officer asks JS if he can see Maddie’s phone and she grabs it from somewhere and hands it to him. You can see the officer looking through the phone as the second officer writes stuff down in his report. He then pulls up her Instagram app after the family relays that MS just created an account on Friday and shows it to the other officer.

Side note — I was glad to see the first responding officer question the other officer about when the call came in and “why was this not a Code 3 (lights and sirens) when it first came out?” I just wish I could hear how the officer responded to his question, but he’s talking too quietly for me to hear him.

 

[Poedelini]

I miss emotional impulses. Here a couple of examples.

Maybe an outburst when the cops first came in why they were so late.

The phone call. I would immediately take the call and answer with Maddie?

No urgency to take charge in searching the area.

Jmo

 

[Megnut]

SBMFF

Not only does JS say that Maddie didn't know where her friends lived, but she'd be unable to find her own house (talked about a lot upthread). Yet, she can find G'ma's place of business just fine. I not only find that an extremely odd thing to say... but it's hard to believe that a child Maddie's age didn't know where friends lived and couldn't find her own home! *files that in the BS drawer*

If your child is missing, you want them found. Safe, alive. BEFORE anyone can call you and yell you they're not.

She did say in a mumble they'd already checked with friends but it was noncommittal at best IMO. It appears Maddie wasn't maybe encouraged TO have friends, outside of school. Because otherwise that would be an exhaustive first ring search, no? 1st, known friends. 2nd, friends of friends. 3rd, friends of friends' friends 4th anyone agree may have spoken to, spoken of. Anyone with a car. A bike. A bus pass. You don't stop until you run out of ideas. You don't run out of ideas. Because if you run out of ideas, the only thing left is bad. Very bad.

SS's "and then we got the call" sits wrong. In the same way standing around waiting does.

Waiting for what?

Looked at the school (not in). So many places left! Movie theaters, high schools, malls, their own neighborhood, and the path between school and home... what if she were lying injured somewhere?

And no one checking to see if she'd made it back home?

Make that make sense.

 

[Megnut]

The police are with you. A call comes in -- doesn't your brain immediately think this could be her, please be her?
Answer it on the first ring, adrenaline drop if it's anybody but her...

Jmo

 

[ttjo]

The first responding officer asks JS if he can see Maddie’s phone and she grabs it from somewhere and hands it to him. You can see the officer looking through the phone as the second officer writes stuff down in his report. He then pulls up her Instagram app after the family relays that MS just created an account on Friday and shows it to the other officer.

Side note — I was glad to see the first responding officer question the other officer about when the call came in and “why was this not a Code 3 (lights and sirens) when it first came out?” I just wish I could hear how the officer responded to his question, but he’s talking too quietly for me to hear him.

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[ttjo]

If your child is missing, you want them found. Safe, alive. BEFORE anyone can call you and yell you they're not.

She did say in a mumble they'd already checked with friends but it was noncommittal at best IMO. It appears Maddie wasn't maybe encouraged TO have friends, outside of school. Because otherwise that would be an exhaustive first ring search, no? 1st, known friends. 2nd, friends of friends. 3rd, friends of friends' friends 4th anyone agree may have spoken to, spoken of. Anyone with a car. A bike. A bus pass. You don't stop until you run out of ideas. You don't run out of ideas. Because if you run out of ideas, the only thing left is bad. Very bad.

SS's "and then we got the call" sits wrong. In the same way standing around waiting does.

Waiting for what?

Looked at the school (not in). So many places left! Movie theaters, high schools, malls, their own neighborhood, and the path between school and home... what if she were lying injured somewhere?

And no one checking to see if she'd made it back home?

Make that make sense.

In those moments thats so true, but to them ( at least one of them for sure) knows it's futile.
Look at how he panicked when her phone rang from an unknown 407 area code. and the sigh of relief when he heard it was the principal, hes hangin around to make sure he doesnt miss any info coming in. that sigh of relief that it was the principal, was probably more likely a sigh of relief about not being busted yet.
Noone called to say we found her at the mall, or she was hiding at a friends house, that would warrant relief, but knowing its the principal ? that sigh is also not about " thank god its not bad news" he already knows shes dead.

 

[64WhetstoneRoad]

Listen closely (everyone, not you in particular). Cop asks what’s going on and she doesn’t just say “so…”. She says “soooooooooo….” It’s a long drawn out “soooooo”. When asked about identifying features, why is SS telling them about the mark on her face instead of mom???

Why doesn’t JS have a photo already handy to show the cop? Surely she would know they’d need one? But she seems to scroll endlessly on her phone to find one. It seems like she scrolled social media to get it because she tells him she saved it to her phone - specifically so she could air drop it to him. Maybe she just thought that was the fastest way since she was frazzled?

If ss had sent her a video of the kid getting ready for school that morning (he didn’t and she didn’t see her) then she should have been able to get the video off the texts pretty fast. But she didn’t do this and it would have shown what she wore and how she looked. I found this interesting.

Maybe her phone was magically wiped too… I don’t know if to put a laughing or crying emoji at this point.

 

[arielilane]

Somewhat o/t (at this time) as I know the recent new video is being discussed. However, curious why that woman has not been arrested yet! moo

Madeline Soto slept in Stephan Sterns' bed, documents say

New documents obtained by Court TV reveal Jennifer Soto's reaction to seeing photos of her daughter on Stephan Sterns' phone.

www.courttv.com

An interview that detectives did with Madeline’s mother, Jennifer Soto, on Feb. 28 offered new insight into the family’s life at home. Jennifer told investigators that she had been dating Sterns “on and off” for approximately seven years and that he had moved out of their home in late 2023. During the interview, Jennifer “stated while they were together they would all either sleep in the same bed or (redacted) would sleep with her when Stephan was not there. When asked if it was normal for Stephan and (redacted) to sleep together without her being there and she said yes.”

 

[ttjo]

Maybe her phone was magically wiped too… I don’t know if to put a laughing or crying emoji at this point.

I know, Lol, lots of times I dont put a laughing emoji cause it's a sad situation. It's heavy, but sometimes you have to find a little humour to lighten it up. Man how do Police and lawyers and all first responders survive this day after day.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

S&BBMFF

Thinking back on how JS responded to LE's Q "What's going on?" she starts out with So my daughter...

While it may be normal for others to start a conversation with "So", it's not normal for the way I talk, UNLESS it's a continuation of conversation. It's like.. "And then" and "So" are interchangeable. The fact she started out with 'So' makes me think it's because it IS a continuation of her speech. IOW... SS and JS rehearsed/discussed what to say about Maddie missing, so when asked 'What's going on?" she starts with "So". It just really, really, really sounds rehearsed to me. And all with her starting word... 'So'.

YMMV

I often begin stories with So. But it's an awfully long, drawn-out So. ETA: I meant JS's was long and drawn out. I say it quickly.

I agree completely that the story was rehearsed.

 

[Ontario Mom]

However, curious why that woman has not been arrested yet! moo

RSBM

I know I'm sounding like a broken record but one very legitimate, obvious reason would be, lack of evidence.

While making what some people might consider highly inappropriate parenting/living/sleeping choices is certainly morally & ethically questionable, it's not something that is criminally actionable.

jmo

 

[MollyDDD]

One would know also, if one saw it on video - yes, we know all too well, "stepfather".

So freaking gross!

 

[Pruddennce]

I often begin stories with So. But it's an awfully long, drawn-out So. ETA: I meant JS's was long and drawn out. I say it quickly.

I agree completely that the story was rehearsed.

yes, rehearsed. SS continually jumps in and answers questions....major red flag, why is HE answering what she was wearing...and then JS says, I think black shorts. all carefully worded answers. the 'we's' began immediately with LE.

did SS have his phone with him? never saw him take it out. he was seen talking on JS' phone and handed it back to her. interesting that SS says use the BD party pic, she says "I WASNT THERE, I have to look for it'...she answered sooooooooo annoyed.

then, the officer asks to see a phone which one of the family members sitting there is going through. Madeline's phone. seems that same phone is given back to SS while he is outside pointing out BS locations. sounds like LE says "here's her phone" when he handed it to him.

this was the initial police response, at gm's place of business on the evening of 2/26. police cam has the wrong date. (2/27)