Found Deceased FL - Madeline Soto, 13, Missing Child Alert, 13500 blk Town Loop Blvd, Orlando, 26 Feb 2024 *arrest* #2

[TwoBlueJays]

My thoughts only......he stayed the night with JS and family. He drugged MS, as I believe he had done many times prior to this night, only he gave her a little too much or what he gave her was laced with some other drug and she died. He went into her room at whatever time he felt safe doing so (probably had done this many times..wait until everyone is asleep) and discovered she was not alive. Panic. After the initial panic and some planning, he returns to the bed with JS who is still asleep and waits until it''s almost time to awaken and tells JS he's getting up early and will take Maddie to school so she can sleep in a bit longer. He gets Maddie out of the house under the cover of darkness and into his car. Gets her school things into the car and leaves. FAIK he could have stayed parked in the parking lot until he was on camera putting her school things in the dumpster or he could have driven around in the complex and parked somewhere out of the way. I haven't heard if he was coming or going when he was at the dumpster. I believe when he was on camera returning, he was either checking to see if JS car was still there or he overlooked something that maybe had fallen out of the car and had to retrieve it. I haven't heard if the camera caught him doing anything on that return trip. We don't know where in the complex the cameras are located, how many there are, or how many captured his movements.

Since this is the only place I'm following this, my speculations are limited.

Very plausible analysis. I also think it was drugs, as there haven't been reported signs of a struggle on his person, e.g. scratch marks. He was wearing a hoodie in the interview video, which covered his arms, but there were no marks on his face. moo

 

[lightofmine99]

Very plausible analysis. I also think it was drugs, as there haven't been reported signs of a struggle on his person, e.g. scratch marks. He was wearing a hoodie in the interview video, which covered his arms, but there were no marks on his face. moo

The wording of the affidavit doesn't specify that "[BLANK] appeared to be asleep throughout" or something similar, but the wording also doesn't indicate she/the victim was awake.

 

[Lirael]

Are you kidding me?

Making off with someone's boat for the day is stupid teenage fun, downloading sexual images of children is not comparable!.

If you can look at that as a teenager then you're already twisted and there's only one reason to keep it on your computer! It either turns you on or it doesn't, and if it does it always will and you (not you personally) need professional help to try to keep those urges under control, and you certainly don't need to be entering into relationships with women with children!.
Please don't diminish the severity of anyone ever downloading such material and always remember that for every image out there a child's life has been irreversibly damaged.

Plus, the alleged incident was about 11 years ago, making SS 26. Even if this was about activities that could be described as stupid teenage fun, that's WAY beyond the age where anyone would think it's a phase he'd grow out of. The "former friend" didn't describe a high school boy hiding a few playboy magazines under his mattress. He described a grown man putting a camera in a woman's bedroom and having a folder of CSAM on his computer.

Speaking of age, the constant referring to SS as "kid" makes me doubt the story more. I'm around the same age and I can't imagine describing people in my friend group as a kid, even if I was talking about things that happened a decade ago. It sounds plausible considering what we know SS had on his phone, but I'm not sure if I buy that this happened. Unless it's a colloquial thing? Are there places where referring to adults you know as "kid" is the norm?

 

[lightofmine99]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed> I'm also thinking it will be drugging related, or maybe while drugged she fell and hit her head/broke something.

 

[lightofmine99]

Going with the drug theory...obviously it is possible to obtain drugs on the street but I'm wondering if he could've sourced it from his own real prescription. It would probably be a benzo of some kind. MOO.

 

[shetalksinstereo]

If his Reddit is to be believed, we know he likes pot. Maybe he was "sharing" his pot with MS so she would be less inhibited? Or even provided her with alcohol, now that she was a "teen"? Something easily availed. I think she was suffocated or strangled. Gun is too chancy.

 

[MassGuy]

I don't think drugs factor in here at all. Unfortunately, sexual abuse happens all the time, and doesn't typically involve drugs. It appears this guy had easy access to his victim, and spent a lot of time alone with her (gaming and perhaps babysitting). He had plenty of time to groom her, and this began at an age when it would be easy to do so.

It also doesn't work for me with the timeline. He allegedly shows up well before he would need to be there to take her to school, and the murder likely occurs well before that timeframe as well. If anyone thinks this is some sort of accident, then a huge problem is him drugging her prior to school, which would mean her going to school all out of sorts.

I continue to believe he either killed her in a rage, or to keep her quiet (perhaps a combination).

 

[shetalksinstereo]

I don't think drugs factor in here at all. Unfortunately, sexual abuse happens all the time, and doesn't typically involve drugs. It appears this guy had easy access to his victim, and spent a lot of time alone with her (gaming and perhaps babysitting). He had plenty of time to groom her, and this began at an age when it would be easy to do so.

Yes to all of this! Telling her she was special and how much he likes spending time with her and on their mutual hobbies, etc.

 

[MassGuy]

Osceola sheriff apologizes after posting photo of dead body on Instagram

A spokesperson would not say whether it depicts Madeline Soto, as critics of Sheriff Marcos López are suggesting.

www.orlandosentinel.com

The office of Osceola County Sheriff Marcos López issued an apology after a photo of a dead body was posted to the sheriff’s Instagram page, prompting an online uproar over the weekend.

The photo, which the Orlando Sentinel received but will not publish, was of a body wearing a green top and blue jeans lying beneath a mound of brush, and appeared to have been posted to López’s Instagram page on Saturday along with images of a community event for seniors hosted by the sheriff. The photo was posted a day after the corpse of 13-year-old Madeline Soto was found in rural St. Cloud by Osceola County Sheriff’s Office search teams.

 

[Litig8r]

For those interested in the possible drug aspect…here’s some information published by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in July 2023 about drug related deaths in Florida.

https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MEC/Publications-and-Forms/Documents/Drugs-in-Deceased-Persons/2022-Interim-Drug-Report-FINAL.aspx

Fentanyl in particular is a drug that comes up over and over. To me, it stands to reason that those involved in this type (SA) criminal activity may be more likely to have connections that may enable them to more easily obtain supply illegal drugs. Other street drugs have been found to be laced with Fentanyl without the user being aware. Illegal drug manufactures do this to attempt to create more of an addiction in hopes of increasing demand for the drugs they sell. It’s an extremely dangerous drug—50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.

There’s a newer drug around that is proving to be worse than Fentanyl—xylazine, known on the street as “tanq” and/or “zombie”. It’s an extreme sedative used in large animals. It’s considered cheaper than Fentanyl so is used by illegal drug manufactures. One of the things that makes xylazine even more scary is that it’s not an opioid, so it can’t be reversed with Narcan.

All of this to say that SS may have intended to sedate MS with something he acquired on the street only to have her die because it was laced with Fentabyl or xylazine.

Please take all of this as my opinion only. A little background though…my second career is in the medical field (apparently I must really like years and years of school—haha) and I have a particular interest in pharmacology (I am not a pharmacist). But again, MY OPINION.

Edited to add: I’m personally not convinced there were drugs involved. But it wouldn’t surprise me.

 

[Sjöberg]

It also doesn't work for me with the timeline. He allegedly shows up well before he would need to be there to take her to school, and the murder likely occurs well before that timeframe as well. If anyone thinks this is some sort of accident, then a huge problem is him drugging her prior to school, which would mean her going to school all out of sorts.

Not that I too strongly support the drugs theory (I think it's just one of many options here), but if anything like that happened, it is most likely to mean that he did something like that during the night (probably drugging her post-party). It would IMO most likely be things like either GHB or sleeping pills, not like cannabis or LSD (pretty useless). Opioids might also be an option, though IMO more likely to obtained from the pharmacy, not streets, in this case.

 

[photographer4]

Osceola sheriff apologizes after posting photo of dead body on Instagram

A spokesperson would not say whether it depicts Madeline Soto, as critics of Sheriff Marcos López are suggesting.

www.orlandosentinel.com

The office of Osceola County Sheriff Marcos López issued an apology after a photo of a dead body was posted to the sheriff’s Instagram page, prompting an online uproar over the weekend.

The photo, which the Orlando Sentinel received but will not publish, was of a body wearing a green top and blue jeans lying beneath a mound of brush, and appeared to have been posted to López’s Instagram page on Saturday along with images of a community event for seniors hosted by the sheriff. The photo was posted a day after the corpse of 13-year-old Madeline Soto was found in rural St. Cloud by Osceola County Sheriff’s Office search teams.

This doesn't even surprise me. UGHHH. Unreal.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Osceola sheriff apologizes after posting photo of dead body on Instagram

A spokesperson would not say whether it depicts Madeline Soto, as critics of Sheriff Marcos López are suggesting.

www.orlandosentinel.com

The office of Osceola County Sheriff Marcos López issued an apology after a photo of a dead body was posted to the sheriff’s Instagram page, prompting an online uproar over the weekend.

The photo, which the Orlando Sentinel received but will not publish, was of a body wearing a green top and blue jeans lying beneath a mound of brush, and appeared to have been posted to López’s Instagram page on Saturday along with images of a community event for seniors hosted by the sheriff. The photo was posted a day after the corpse of 13-year-old Madeline Soto was found in rural St. Cloud by Osceola County Sheriff’s Office search teams.

His defense team will have a flipping field day with this mistake!!!

 

[MassGuy]

His defense team will have a flipping field day with this mistake!!!

Fortunately, I don’t think it will change anything. It’s not like he was a detective investigating the case, and Kissimmee is in charge now anyway.

 

[lightofmine99]

So is/was the body picture posted to Facebook accidentally actually of Maddy's or...?

 

[Cindizzi]

Osceola sheriff apologizes after posting photo of dead body on Instagram

A spokesperson would not say whether it depicts Madeline Soto, as critics of Sheriff Marcos López are suggesting.

www.orlandosentinel.com

The office of Osceola County Sheriff Marcos López issued an apology after a photo of a dead body was posted to the sheriff’s Instagram page, prompting an online uproar over the weekend.

The photo, which the Orlando Sentinel received but will not publish, was of a body wearing a green top and blue jeans lying beneath a mound of brush, and appeared to have been posted to López’s Instagram page on Saturday along with images of a community event for seniors hosted by the sheriff. The photo was posted a day after the corpse of 13-year-old Madeline Soto was found in rural St. Cloud by Osceola County Sheriff’s Office search teams.

Also from the Orlando Sentinel article:

[…]

A separate photo — a selfie of agency Executive Director Nirva Rodríguez in front of Stephan Sterns, the prime suspect in Madeline’s disappearance — was posted to Rodríguez’s personal Facebook page, with the caption written in Spanish translated to, “If God’s love has been poured out over your life, don’t allow evil to keep you away from what He has prepared for you.” It appears to have been taken seconds before Sterns was videoed being placed in the back of a patrol car.

The second photo also drew criticism. Both images have since been deleted.

[…]

Good Lord. Sometimes I can’t even find the words to express how bizarre this seems to me. The executive director of the Sheriffs Department put this on her personal Facebook page y’all. smh

 

[Mack the Knife]

Osceola sheriff apologizes after posting photo of dead body on Instagram

A spokesperson would not say whether it depicts Madeline Soto, as critics of Sheriff Marcos López are suggesting.

www.orlandosentinel.com

The office of Osceola County Sheriff Marcos López issued an apology after a photo of a dead body was posted to the sheriff’s Instagram page, prompting an online uproar over the weekend.

The photo, which the Orlando Sentinel received but will not publish, was of a body wearing a green top and blue jeans lying beneath a mound of brush, and appeared to have been posted to López’s Instagram page on Saturday along with images of a community event for seniors hosted by the sheriff. The photo was posted a day after the corpse of 13-year-old Madeline Soto was found in rural St. Cloud by Osceola County Sheriff’s Office search teams.

Horrible. I don’t see how that could be an accident, and if it was it is quite the indictment of López and his office. Those files should never have been near each other. How would that happen? He posts from his official phone and keeps crime scene photos on his camera roll? He posts from a computer and crime scene photos are mixed in with PR photos?

As for the bit I bolded, it’s worth pointing out that Maddie was originally reported to have been “last seen wearing a green jacket, black shorts, and white Crocs” and LE also said that there was surveillance footage at the church where SS claimed to have dropped Maddie off that featured a person who could have been Maddie hanging around and then walking in the direction of the school. I took this to mean they saw someone matching her description, but they weren’t sure it was her. There has been speculation that LE fabricated the story about the church footage, but I don’t think LE has said anything about the church footage since they started talking about the footage in the vehicle where they believe Maddie was already dead.

 

[MassGuy]

So is/was the body picture posted to Facebook accidentally actually of Maddy's or...?

I’d bet the farm on it. The Sentinel says the clothing matches, and the Sheriff’s department hasn’t said it’s not her, which they certainly would do in order to dampen the criticism a bit.

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

After seeing the supposed postings of those images by Sheriff Lopez of Osceola police department and Executive Director Rodriguez of the department - one can only ask whether they can be sanctioned, removed from that position, docked wages, put on leave, or have earnings garnished, or even be fired?

This is absolutely unforgivable and horrid. And the selfie…… rises to another level. MOO

Yes, nice job and work of the detectives and investigators that put this together quickly. And they deserve acknowledgment and recognition and thanks.

Sadly this is about MS, a defenseless young child. Who is gone. Bless her. MOO

 

[lonetraveler]

I don't think drugs factor in here at all. Unfortunately, sexual abuse happens all the time, and doesn't typically involve drugs. It appears this guy had easy access to his victim, and spent a lot of time alone with her (gaming and perhaps babysitting). He had plenty of time to groom her, and this began at an age when it would be easy to do so.

It also doesn't work for me with the timeline. He allegedly shows up well before he would need to be there to take her to school, and the murder likely occurs well before that timeframe as well. If anyone thinks this is some sort of accident, then a huge problem is him drugging her prior to school, which would mean her going to school all out of sorts.

I continue to believe he either killed her in a rage, or to keep her quiet (perhaps a combination).

I was thinking possible drugs only if there are no apparent signs for cause of death.