Found Deceased FL - Madeline Soto, 13, Missing Child Alert, 13500 blk Town Loop Blvd, Orlando, 26 Feb 2024 *arrest* #9

[cujenn81]

I think the phone tracked to the hotel or SS had a credit card issued under his father's name he used. Search warrants will be issued in the account holder/owners name.

Clearly, LE knows SS was using the phone, it was in his possession. SS turned the phone over to police. SS was seen on video driving the car owned by his father. JS and SS discussed the vehicle in several conversations with LE.

ETA... The podcasters are reading from reports, search warrant and supporting documents. These are being identified by the owner information listed on the search warrant. I'm not sure the podcasters are taking a timeout to clarify, the phone and car were clearly in possession and being used by SS. I think it would be much easier to understand reading the documents myself.
Moo...

Stephan’s father was seen on surveillance at the hotel with SS and JS on February 28th and seen leaving on the 29th.

 

[Heaven Leigh]

I don't think JS saw Maddie at all that night or morning.
But why would you not be honest about that?
Was she not wanting the officers to know SS was the last one who saw her? She is reporting her missing Daughter for heavens sake. Makes zero sense to lie.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

Stephan’s father was seen on surveillance at the hotel with SS and JS on February 28th and seen leaving on the 29th.

View attachment 510168

Just leisurely walking her dog at 10 a.m. two days after her only child had gone missing.

No way she didn’t know Maddie was gone.

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

I don't think JS saw Maddie at all that night or morning.
But why would you not be honest about that?
Was she not wanting the officers to know SS was the last one who saw her? She is reporting her missing Daughter for heavens sake. Makes zero sense to lie.

I agree….. and I can think of only one reason for that. And it tends to suggest IMO some possible involvement by both perhaps? I would be happy to be wrong on that. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

SS having his father’s phone and car IMO seems possibly an element of premeditation? Of what is not clear. MOO

I'd say longtime predatory behavior. SS knew how to add a shield to protect himself from LE.

https://www.nationalcac.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Stages-of-sexual-grooming-Recognizing-potentially-predatory-behaviors-of-child-molesters.pdf

They strategically manipulate the victim, their family, and the community to hide their deviant intentions and avoid detection. These behaviors include strategies such as selecting a vulnerable victim, gaining access to the child, developing trust, and desensitizing the victim to touch.

 

[Vanilletx]

Stephan’s father was seen on surveillance at the hotel with SS and JS on February 28th and seen leaving on the 29th.

View attachment 510168

Random question but why wasn’t “Stephan’s father” blacked out/ redacted but “Jennifer” was redacted/ blacked out in the documents?

 

[Anika]

Just leisurely walking her dog at 10 a.m. two days after her only child had gone missing.

No way she didn’t know Maddie was gone.

She talked about her in the past-tense when doing one of her earliest law enforcement encounters. I haven't seen the actual transcript, just the LEO's notes that she was doing it (on one of the recent documents). Sorry if this was already covered, so much new stuff to wade through!

 

[Nattyj1991]

I think the phone tracked to the hotel or SS had a credit card issued under his father's name he used. Search warrants will be issued in the account holder/owners name.

Clearly, LE knows SS was using the phone, it was in his possession. SS turned the phone over to police. SS was seen on video driving the car owned by his father. JS and SS discussed the vehicle in several conversations with LE.

ETA... The podcasters are reading from reports, search warrant and supporting documents. These are being identified by the owner information listed on the search warrant. I'm not sure the podcasters are taking a timeout to clarify, the phone and car were clearly in possession and being used by SS. I think it would be much easier to understand reading the documents myself.
Moo...

I don’t know I’m just speculating but maybe he purposefully used his dad’s phone in case LE wanted to search his phone and he could say he’s using his dads phone (which would have no evidence of csam on it). I’m not sure about that though because he ended up handing his phone over anyway. But it sounds like it would be a plausible reason to “borrow” his dad’s phone.

 

[Nattyj1991]

SS having his father’s phone and car IMO seems possibly an element of premeditation? Of what is not clear. MOO

Exactly what I was going to say! I am leaning way towards premeditation. MOO!

 

[Seattle1]

Random question but why wasn’t “Stephan’s father” blacked out/ redacted but “Jennifer” was redacted/ blacked out in the documents?

A couple of observations: first, the documents support the arrest and charges of Stephan Sterns only.

Second, his identity is being protected by referring to him only as "Stephan's father." IMO, this is probably safer than identifying him and hoping to rely on perfect redaction where it's all too easy to miss one.

IMO, the dad is another victim of SS.

 

[Forest_Wood]

I wonder why JS went so early? Has that been discussed anywhere? I'm not remembering if it was. I know I wouldn't want to just be sitting there waiting that long, especially if I was already "TIRED".

It doesn't make any sense, just like the rest of what she has said. Driving to the school an hour early just to sit in her car and wait? Who does that?

 

[Slamalam]

I wonder why JS went so early? Has that been discussed anywhere? I'm not remembering if it was. I know I wouldn't want to just be sitting there waiting that long, especially if I was already "TIRED".

Once when I picked my daughter up a little early from school for an afternoon appointment, an employee at the front desk told me some of the daily pick-up parents do this. They start lining up AN HOUR before school even lets out. They just… sit there. When my jaw dropped, the staff member shrugged and said “I don’t get it either?” So I guess it’s a thing some parents do?? Gotta be first!? IMO

 

[Vanilletx]

I mean plenty of people do that at my kids school but for someone who was too tired to get up and say “good morning” and “have a good day at school” to her kid after a not particularly late night, after her kid had just spent her entire birthday week at grandmas house: it seems rather odd that she would spend an extra hour at school

unless…
She was trying to make sure they had an alibi, and they were clearly seen waiting. The plan was both of them were supposed to be there, right? But then the pesky flat tire happened…

 

[AnyNameIWish]

Once when I picked my daughter up a little early from school for an afternoon appointment, an employee at the front desk told me some of the daily pick-up parents do this. They start lining up AN HOUR before school even lets out. They just… sit there. When my jaw dropped, the staff member shrugged and said “I don’t get it either?” So I guess it’s a thing some parents do?? Gotta be first!? IMO

Looks like Hunters creek Middle School is about 1200 STUDENTS.

Woah. (Our local Middle School is 120 students!)

[Mod snip, unnecessary]

It doesn't look to me like Florida has much of a "walk to school/pedestrian" culture so I imagine most kids are picked up, can you imagine the traffic at pickup time?

 

[photographer4]

Sure. I could believe that she waited early if there is evidence of her being there early most days.

If.

She couldn’t “remember” if she had told MS she’d pick her up that day. And didn’t see her leave the school when she was usually first / one of the first kids out. Let that sink in. She didn’t see her kid come out which was unusual. So she left and went to gran’s office?? How the hell would Ms have got to the office if JS didn’t see her leave the building??? And beat her there no less given how long JS was sat outside waiting???

 

[photographer4]

I've not read or listened yet to any of the docs that report Mr. Sterns Sr. (CS) in the area and/or staying at the same hotel. But I do recall from the docs that JS/SS stayed at a hotel located about 30 mins from the Soto residence after LE took custody of the condo to execute a search warrant. (IMO, I got the feeling that LE was surprised that JS would choose to stay a distance away from home when her missing child could surface at anytime). As observers, we now know that MS showing up at home was never going to happen.

^^That said, I think it makes perfect sense that Mr. Sterns Sr. (CS) would have traveled to Kissimmee sometime (post Monday) after learning that his adult son, allegedly dropped MS off at school, and that she never made it to classes, and was in fact missing. I think we need to remember this had been longtime relationship where SS had been in MS's life for more than half of her life, her friends reported she loved him, and they were close. This is likely the image SS's parents had too.

I think traveling to be with JS/SS at what for most would be an excruciating time would be the gesture of any able parent/grandparent to support their adult child/family.

Unfortunately, I'm sorry to say that I'm still thrown off when assessing what's truly a normal act of human compassion, because JS never did fit what one expects from a mother whose only child is missing!

On the other hand, SS immediately started "acting" the part. I don't doubt this mimicking behavior by SS has been used for most of his life to control his father (or anybody known to provide for his needs). MOO

Grey Hughes today re-released the YouTube of SS friends talking about SS. The first one lived two doors down from SS as kids and said SS was odd and that he was caught with a camera by the caller’s dad, apparently trying to photo caller’s mother in her own bathroom. The caller’s father almost shot SS and gave him the bullet he had loaded as a reminder going forward. Too bad the caller’s dad didn’t kill him dead that day. This caller further stated when SS would lie when he knew him he would be crying and blabbing. So he said he knew SS was lying as soon as he saw him on tv. Was interesting to hear.

 

[Curious Me]

Court TV Show -- June 13, 2024, Thursday



^^^ MOO, like I said, he wasn't there for Jen. He was there for Madeline.

New Insight Into Stephan Sterns And Madeline Soto's Relationship - New documents offer more insight as we continue to learn more about what the dynamic was between Stephan Sterns and his alleged victim, Madeline Soto. Soto once told a school counselor that Sterns made her 'uncomfortable.' (6/13/24)​

New Insight Into Stephan Sterns and Madeline Soto's Relationship

New documents offer more insight into what the relationship dynamic was between Stephan Sterns and his alleged victim, Madeline Soto.

www.courttv.com

Court TV Live Stream - Your Front Row Seat to Justice

Court TV brings you inside the courtroom for high-profile cases across the U.S.

www.courttv.com

 

[photographer4]

Stephan’s father was seen on surveillance at the hotel with SS and JS on February 28th and seen leaving on the 29th.

View attachment 510168

And the police noted when CS left and returned as well as when Ss left and returned and noted Js walked the dog but was otherwise there. Odd. So very odd.

 

[photographer4]

Just leisurely walking her dog at 10 a.m. two days after her only child had gone missing.

No way she didn’t know Maddie was gone.

I’ve said this before: she’d have prob put missing dog posters up at a minimum of the dog went missing. Just sayin.

 

[photographer4]

A couple of observations: first, the documents support the arrest and charges of Stephan Sterns only.

Second, his identity is being protected by referring to him only as "Stephan's father." IMO, this is probably safer than identifying him and hoping to rely on perfect redaction where it's all too easy to miss one.

IMO, the dad is another victim of SS.

The name of a lady who called to report info before Ms body was located - she said she had relations with SS in Dec-May 2023. He told her he slept in the bed with Ms and woke with an erection and had to turn away and she stopped seeing him soon after — she was named outright in the grey Hughes video (part two). In rhe documents I mean. I won’t name her here obviously but I had wondered why her name wasn’t redacted. I don’t think CS is a victim of SS here at all. They just remembered to block his name and not hers.