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

[I am not Sherlock H.]

I don't know but I would expect LE has some leeway to redact anything that might harm a case, as we saw with the 44-minute body cam footage that was redacted to a few seconds.

Yes, and frankly while watching the just released video…… I was a little surprised that the faces of anyone aside from JS & SS were not blurred or covered? Or at least anyone under say 18 or so and possibly some of the investigating officers. IANAL and not sure of state law or legal ages, etc. MOO

 

[Gemmie]

That was a great post!!
and another thing, I may not be 13 but is that Lincoln really embarrassing ?? Its not like it's an old clunker, blowing smoke with a roped on bumper.
I dont buy that " phase" either.

SS himself said it was "Hoopties" in his interview. I posted about that upthread after transcribing his interview with LE.

 

[Ladyotm]

Oh and we learn from the video that Maddie's phone had tracking.

How VERY convenient that she happened to forget it that VERY day she went "missing."

That fits the narrative that she left on her own...perhaps this was the day she was going to live in the woods She was running away and couldn't be tracked. I wish we could get some context for that statement. Do we know when it was 1st reported? If Jen found her statement, why would she insist that Maddie wouldn't have went off on her own?

Using headphones without cellphone - does it make sense? Her cellphone "she had forgotten" at home.

Yes, what was the significance with that? My daughter wears hers around her neck if she brings them along in the car. Could this statement be towards him hoping cops would think that she didn't notice someone approaching her, and they were able to sneak up on her and kidnap her without anyone noticing?

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

That was a great post!!
and another thing, I may not be 13 but is that Lincoln really embarrassing ?? Its not like it's an old clunker, blowing smoke with a roped on bumper.
I dont buy that " phase" either.

I am wondering if it was the Honda Civic or Nissan he supposedly also drove? Was one of them the vehicle of supposed ‘dislike’?

And if so, it is now known he had the father’s Lincoln that day.

So is that another huge hole in their story? MOO

 

[Tealgrove]

I don’t know what JS knew or didn’t know. As soon as I heard all 3 were sleeping in the same bed, and due to her anxiety, there were times she had SS and MS sleep together in a different room, I’ve had a hard time reconciling the words and actions of JS.

Her demeanour, to me, is flat. Very little inflection. I would love to know what meds she takes because if she is on a mood stabilizer, what we are seeing could be a result of that. I once took an antidepressant that made me into a zombie and made me rock. Suffice to say I called my Dr and I had to stop taking it. I thought of that when people keep mentioning that JS sways.

The other odd thing is all this sleeping stuff. MS went to school 2 hours early but she was asleep the whole time. JS is too tired to take MS to school. SS does her a solid and lets her sleep. SS is tired and sleeps a lot to hear him tell it. It’s weird to me. The whole house is either tired or sleeping. What kinds of meds are these people taking or is this just a convenient way to not answer questions because you were asleep?

JS shows no emotion whatsoever.

Not sure what’s going to happen to JS as this case continues to unfold. Her lies have not helped her in the court of public opinion.

What I do know is, that sending her young daughter to sleep with her boyfriend, in a different bedroom, is outrageous and IMO deserves a much closer look by LE as it relates back to JS.

Sweet Madeline suffered greatly at the hands of SS, and her mother did not protect her. That makes me terribly sad.

MOO

 

[JennieM]

I w

I don’t know what JS knew or didn’t know. As soon as I heard all 3 were sleeping in the same bed, and due to her anxiety, there were times she had SS and MS sleep together in a different room, I’ve had a hard time reconciling the words and actions of JS.

Her demeanour, to me, is flat. Very little inflection. I would love to know what meds she takes because if she is on a mood stabilizer, what we are seeing could be a result of that. I once took an antidepressant that made me into a zombie and made me rock. Suffice to say I called my Dr and I had to stop taking it. I thought of that when people keep mentioning that JS sways.

The other odd thing is all this sleeping stuff. MS went to school 2 hours early but she was asleep the whole time. JS is too tired to take MS to school. SS does her a solid and lets her sleep. SS is tired and sleeps a lot to hear him tell it. It’s weird to me. The whole house is either tired or sleeping. What kinds of meds are these people taking or is this just a convenient way to not answer questions because you were asleep?

JS shows no emotion whatsoever.

Not sure what’s going to happen to JS as this case continues to unfold. Her lies have not helped her in the court of public opinion.

What I do know is, that sending her young daughter to sleep with her boyfriend, in a different bedroom, is outrageous and IMO deserves a much closer look by LE as it relates back to JS.

Sweet Madeline suffered greatly at the hands of SS and her mother did not protect her and that makes me terribly sad.

MOO

I was also trying to sympathize but I cannot understand giving permission to her boyfriend to sleep with her daughter. When was it said that SS and MS slept unsupervised in a different room? I haven’t followed the whole thread and I missed that. I am quite shocked.

 

[Gemmie]

I was also trying to sympathize but I cannot understand giving permission to her boyfriend to sleep with her daughter. When was it said that SS and MS slept unsupervised in a different room? I haven’t followed the whole thread and I missed that. I am quite shocked.

It's in MSM.

Madeline Soto’s mother told police that it was normal for her daughter to sleep in her stepfather, Stephan Stern’s bed, NBC News affiliate WESH reported.

Madeline Soto’s mom told police it was normal for teen to sleep in same bed as stepfather: report

13-year-old Madeline Soto used to sleep in the same bed as her stepfather Stephan Sterns, who is facing charges for her murder and child sexual abuse, NBC affiliate WESH reports.

www.wfla.com

 

[grannygates]

IMO it's impossible to critique JS body language/mannerisms/affect in the bodycam footage without a baseline of knowing what her typical demeanor is or how she has acted in prior emergency situations. Her family and close friends would likely recognize if anything was abnormal.

 

[iamshadow21]

IMO it's impossible to critique JS body language/mannerisms/affect in the bodycam footage without a baseline of knowing what her typical demeanor is or how she has acted in prior emergency situations. Her family and close friends would likely recognize if anything was abnormal.

Also, whatever meds she is on aside, we know that Madeline herself had ADHD and autism traits. Both tend to be strongly genetic. Swaying, rocking, manipulating hands and fingers, atypical affect... Everything being mentioned as odd behaviour by JS... ALL these things could be spectrum traits, even if JS is not on the spectrum at a level to meet diagnosis.

That is not excusing the things she might have done or not done, especially in the realm of guarding her daughter from harm. Child abuse is NOT synonymous with spectrum parents. Spectrum parents can be wonderful, living and caring. They can also fall on the other end of the scale, and be lying abusers. And everything in between. Like any parent.

I am simply talking about her speech, affect, and body language.

MOO

 

[IzzyBlanche]

It sure takes JS a lonnnnng time to find a picture of Maddie.

 

[Bahshudc]

I found it interesting when JS says she doesn’t think Maddie’s laptop is trackable to the officer, and then a few of the girls chime in immediately saying it should be! I’m glad they offered up their opinion in that moment, drawing more attention to the laptop. If your daughter was missing, surely the answer wouldn’t be “I don’t think it’s trackable” but rather “let’s try it.” Maddy had her laptop - if they locate that, they locate the missing child. What mother wouldn’t be desperate to try that option? MOO

 

[friendlysleuther]

I found it interesting when JS says she doesn’t think Maddie’s laptop is trackable to the officer, and then a few of the girls chime in immediately saying it should be! I’m glad they offered up their opinion in that moment, drawing more attention to the laptop. If your daughter was missing, surely the answer wouldn’t be “I don’t think it’s trackable” but rather “let’s try it.” Maddy had her laptop - if they locate that, they locate the missing child. What mother wouldn’t be desperate to try that option? MOO

yep.. thats the exact time i noticed she had began rocking back & forth as well.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

 

[Curious Me]

Using headphones without cellphone - does it make sense? Her cellphone "she had forgotten" at home.​

Court TV panel noticed SS then said "she was looking for the headphones in her backpack like she always does" when he drove away. Trying to make it sound like it just another normal thing he knows about her, like the phase she's going through. Between both of them we never got a shred of true details. This guy, a pedophile lurking around for years, just drove a couple hours, when all that family was around and could've helped with Madeline getting to school, and the next day that happy happy girl is dead. MOO, Mom is withholding info for some reason.​

The problem with the bodycam video IMO is that she appears detached and lacks urgency. There is no panic, she does not seem overwhelmed....​

Has no trouble being so panic stricken that she can't breathe like she says in the news interviews.

...JS shows no emotion whatsoever...

There's a lot of facial animation and hand expressions, and the distracting swaying, but very little emotion. She does show forehead stress. The kindest thing I can say is this just happened and it may be it doesn't feel real to her yet.

She's much more together than when she does the news interviews. There's less "we" talk. She doesn't explain who the heck SS is to the officer, and why he was the one who took MS to school. All details vague except the lies about how MS was dropped off.

SS stands arms crossed chirping in with weird unimportant details about Maddie. As a couple there's no PDA towards each other, no touching. (probably family disapproves of him?) Also strange is no family is by Jen's side to support her​

What I do know is, that sending her young daughter to sleep with her boyfriend, in a different bedroom, is outrageous and IMO deserves a much closer look by LE as it relates back to JS.

This is just my unleashed own opinions now. I agree. It is totally outrageous and no parent of a young child should be allowed to act that dumb about the dangers to their child by allowing that. Her family must've gone through the roof if they heard that. Is that what she was willing to allow to have SS around as a backup parent for her convenience or what? It like letting the boogie man into your home. Seriously, what is wrong with her to allow that? Why does she call him a partner when he hasn't even lived there for quite a while? ​

 

[Beekarina]

Have we ever heard anything about JS being autistic? Or just suffering from anxiety and having bipolar?

I know there was discussion about MS having testing, and it not being clear if she was on the spectrum or not, but watching more of JS, I'm wondering about her as well?

Trying to understand her behavior, word choice, effect, etc. She just continually seems so....odd.
And if she isn't guilty of direct involvement in her daughter's death, I'm trying to better understand/find some possible explanation for what we're seeing here.

 

[Gemmie]

SS stands arms crossed chirping in with weird unimportant details about Maddie. As a couple there's no PDA towards each other, no touching. (probably family disapproves of him?) Also strange is no family is by Jen's side to support her​

It very well could be like you said, that the family disapproves of him. But, I'm thinking it's likely more because he KNEW he killed her and LE is mere feet away questioning what went down. Crossed arms over his chest is a defensive gesture IMO. He needs this questioning from LE OVER, he needs family to go back home so he can go back the the apartment and do whatever (rehearse, do other things to cover up what went down, etc.). He just wants to be out of there, IMO, and take care of "stuff".

It also could be both family disapproves and his need to get away from it all. All MOO

 

[JennieM]

Jenn Soto and Stephan Sterns talk to deputies in newly released videos

Stephan Sterns can be seen with Jennifer Soto standing with arms crossed while talking to deputies about Madeline's disappearance.

www.courttv.com

All MOO here. I like to get some screen shots of the video. SS is getting ready to put on his biggest acting role-- "hard not to blame myself, it's my fault because I dropped her off early". MOO, SS with his backward cap on looks just like the immature creepy pedophile man that lives at home with his parents, plays video games in his bedroom like a high schooler. Backwards baseball cap, you just know he tries to act like a cool dude around children with his Tamagotchi toys. MOO, I wish he never was allowed back into Jen and Maddie's home. ​

View attachment 507966
View attachment 507976View attachment 507968Touches head like Body Language expert says, and then core protection arms crossed posture.
View attachment 507977
View attachment 507974
SS--Here's your phone, here, here's your phone back, I'm so helpful.
View attachment 507978

Court TV Vinnie's panel says the Mom actually is acting calmer than they would if their child was missing. She swaying, but talking quite confidently. Some on the panel think it seems like a scripted story. When asked questions she answers looking at the person, but JS looks up when telling the details of the story, same as she does later. SS in background watching, making sure the story is how it should be, if it was rehearsed. He wants the story to be how he wants it to sound.

Glad someone reminded me that must be JS's Mom's Office. I don't know how many brothers and sisters Jen has, but it hurts to know what they are facing with her being missing. ​

Now that I am seeing these screenshots that you took, I can narrow down better what I thought was off when I was watching the video. Her facial expressions appear hostile, aggressive.

She is on the defensive, isn’t she?

I think that’s what took me by surprise yesterday.

I am trusting her less and less the more I see her.

 

[Curious Me]

5:30 minute mark - What does Jen mean MS didn't come out of the school when she went to pick her up, and they announced it over the speaker?............drove to her Mom's office, back to school, blah, blah, blah, "so, she never made it." She swallows.

7:48 after SS suggests she might have pics of Maddie at the birthday party, Jen reminds him she wasn't there. He should've known that if he was there, so I believe neither were at that party.

(All MOO, I think the family was not crazy about SS being around and may have told Jen that. I'd guess they heard some stuff about SS from Maddie that bothered them.)

SS & JS-- they're not standing there as a couple which would've supported all the we, we, we statements she later gave in her news interview. He's not touching her at all, not coming across as the partner or stepfather as he later tries to imply. In the news interviews later, she's trying to appear they're a couple, co-parents, and she's rubbing his back and touching him. He doesn't seem to show any closeness or support to her.

MOO thoughts here after seeing how many concerned family members care about Madeline, it is completely strange that Jen had to call SS to drive two hours to help Maddie get to school. She just had a big loving family birthday party. Why'd SS have to be called? She ended up dead by morning.

No, the reasons and the details don't make any sense at all to me. MOO, there is something being hidden, covered up, there was some reason Jen had to tell it that way, but it's not ringing true to me. ​

 

[LoveyG]

Watching the family in the Body Cam video, I notice they are not looking at JS. She looks over at them but I don't see them return her gaze. Sitting off to the side to stay out of the way I'd understand, but, if my loved one was talking to police about her missing child, I'd at least be watching her to make sure she was ok.

They also are not looking at SS that I see. That makes more sense to me.

I dunno. Maybe you guys saw the family looking at JS with concern and I just missed it.

 

[MollyDDD]

I just find it bizarre that apparently SS had been removed from the "family unit" so to speak for a long time and the day Maddie "went missing" was like his first day back after being gone. I believe the grandmother said this on the bodycam? Of course she could've been mistaken and he could've been back for a while without other family knowing. MOO.

I agree, but:

Not sure if this is mod approved but one of our approved sources got a "tip" or a leak from another reputable source that the C.O.D. was head trauma or blunt force trauma. MOO but I think head trauma could be a contributing factor rather than the official C.O.D. I think she could've experienced the trauma during a struggle, or he attempted to hit her first and it failed. MOO, hidden because slightly NSFW.

How do you hide things like that?