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

[JerseyWasHome2]

It wouldn't have saved her life here, but an earlier notification system is just good policy.

ETA: “Officials with Osceola County Schools say they notify elementary school parents of absences at 10 a.m., middle school parents at 11 a.m. and high school parents at 5 p.m.”

So was mom notified at that time? Was an attempt made at least?

She was found in Osceola County, but just a blip above the border is Orange County, and I think her school is in Orange.

Seems like in that video the slide for Orange says final attendance is in at 3:30pm!

Home

hunterscreekms.ocps.net

 

[daybreaking]

Looks like that WAS a photo of Maddie's remains. Disgusting. What the heck?

The photo shouldn't have even been on the same device used to post to the public?!

 

[IzzyBlanche]

The photo shouldn't have even been on the same device used to post to the public?!

Agreed!

 

[kae27]

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?

I think this is quite common. Source: watching way too much of the horrible reality TV show, The Challenge.

 

[caradana]

MOO: Government service career-ending event for the employee who posted that. Brutal. Speaks to the importance of good governance and four-eyes principle on anything posted.

 

[Pruddennce]

Every time I see a comment about Maddie supposedly making a comment about living in the woods when she was 13 it makes me wonder if not only was it SS, but that that was part of his plan. As you all know, she was found in a wooded area. So, if his plan hadn't backfired on him, perhaps he was hoping they'd think she ran away "to live in the woods", and that unfortunately someone saw her out there and killed her before SS and Maddie's mom could go out and find her to bring her home. The whole thing just unraveled so fast I'm sure his head spun.

The body of missing Florida girl Madeline Soto was found in a wooded area Friday afternoon, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said

Missing 13-year-old Florida girl found dead and mother's boyfriend suspected of moving her body

Video evidence showed Stephan Sterns, the boyfriend of Madeline Soto's mother, discarding items in a dumpster the day she vanished, police said. Her backpack and laptop were later found inside.

www.nbcnews.com

SheriffM stated in the first presser that the posting/text was made before her actual birth date, but didnt couldnt specifiy the exact date only that it was before she turned 13 on Feb 22nd. he first referenced it was on her phone, but then said it was through either text msgs or social media msgs.

he also answered a question about whether there was turmoil in her home life because of the living in the woods statement by Madeline..he said there was nothing 'other than that' that indicated turmoil in the house.

for me its difficult to speculate without knowing if she was still in possession of her phone before Feb 22 and when before Feb the woods msg was made. was her electronics taken away from her? was this why it was mentioned by her mother she did not have any social media/phone electronic usage after her birthday party that nite because access was taken away from her? (mom: she went right to bed)

 

[ch_13]

What’s odd about that supposed video to me is what’s the chance that SS claims to have dropped her off at the church or near it, and some grainy video of someone walking in that area is available from that same time. ?

Did the grainy video actually exist? We know that the police refused to show it to the family. It may have just been a ruse by LE to put SS at ease, perhaps in conjunction with asking for his phone.

 

[Curious Me]

Not sure, just can't remember now, but I don't think the clothing sounds the same as what was reported Madeline was last seen wearing. Green top?...

I took a break and now just went looking for an answer. I was wrong, it sounds like she was wearing a green top, but not blue jeans. Was the pic her? Regardless, I feel sad about it all over again.

Madeline "who was last seen wearing a green jacket, black shorts, and white Crocs."

 

[Madison1905]

I still can’t get over the accidental photo leak on behalf of the Sheriff. This is a major blow.

 

[Stunned]

Yup, many of us have the same questions. As for the church sighting, there was grainy surveillance footage that law enforcement thought could have potentially been her. Madeline’s mom said that she had heard about it from her sister, although her sister hadn’t even seen this video (it was apparently described to her).

In her interviews, mom treated this video as if it was definitely Madeline, which is a bit curious.

Maddie and her mom look an awful lot alike. I hope for her sake it wasn't her in the parking lot.

 

[tatertot]

Parents question school policies after Madeline Soto's mother said she did not know of her absence

On the day she went missing, Madeline Soto's mother said she did not learn of her daughter's absence until she went to pick her up at 4:30 p.m.

www.wesh.com

News article: School attendance notification policies are under review. Osceola County Schools are supposed to notify parents of middle schoolers' absence by 11 a.m. Also, a school board member confirmed they have a policy for parents to drop kids off on school property, not near it as SS claims to have done.

 

[MassGuy]

Maddie and her mom look an awful lot alike. I hope for her sake it wasn't her in the parking lot.

It doesn’t work at all for me. This was incredibly sloppy, with evidence being dumped in a dumpster near the home, and Madeline literally being caught dead on camera in his vehicle.

This guy’s priority was getting rid of a body, and he couldn’t have known about the low video quality of a random surveillance camera.

If he had help in that regard, then there’s no reason for this to be such a mess (leaving the apartment, coming back with her body, etc).

 

[MamaBearski]

Jumping off your birthday remark, this is a bit weird. For his sexual battery on a child under 12 (familial), the offense date is listed as Madeline's birthday 2 years ago, when she would have turned 11. The arrest warrant had a starting date about a month later than that, if I recall.

Charge Status:	ARREST		Status Date:	3/1/2024
Statute:	794.011 8c		Offense Date:	2/22/2022
Arresting Agency:	KISSIMMEE POLICE DEPARTMENT		OBTS #:	4902187171
Case #:	24001809
Level/Degree:	FELONY LIFE		GOC:
Offense Activity:			Drug Type:
Weapons:			Range:
Amount:
Charge Description:	SEXUAL BATTERY VICTIM UNDER 12 YEAR (FAMILIAL)

https://courts.osceolaclerk.com/BenchmarkWeb/CourtCase.aspx/Details/3358587?digest=V95qZYZYuyGWmj7+bDIZkg

Maybe from the other bday pics and the dates in his phone they were able to confirm the pics were from that date.
The mom said in an interview that Maddy came home from the party (that mom had to work through) happy with her gifts, DIDN'T GO ONLINE (said there was no time she had her phone or laptop) and she was just happy and went to bed. Teenage girl, been with family all day, excited about gifts and doesn't contact friends telling them about their day and gifts?
I'm not buying it. I think something happened the night before she 'went missing'. Maybe bc she had a great day and was a year older she found the boldness to say no to SS?? And it led to an attack?

Interview link (timestamp 6:15)

 

[photographer4]

It doesn’t work at all for me. This was incredibly sloppy, with evidence being dumped in a dumpster near the home, and Madeline literally being caught dead on camera in his vehicle.

This guy’s priority was getting rid of a body, and he couldn’t have known about the low video quality of a random surveillance camera.

If he had help in that regard, then there’s no reason for this to be such a mess (leaving the apartment, coming back with her body, etc).

IF he was some kind of network / it guy (Grey Hughes video - I didn't watch, so this is a question, not a statement of fact) - in the video apparently there was a network folder with CSAM on it that the roomate found? If SS was a savy tech guy, could he have known about the grainy video by logging into /hacking (?) into it remotely? If it wasn't a super secure system is that possible?

 

[photographer4]

Maybe from the other bday pics and the dates in his phone they were able to confirm the pics were from that date.
The mom said in an interview that Maddy came home from the party (that mom had to work through) happy with her gifts, DIDN'T GO ONLINE (said there was no time she had her phone or laptop) and she was just happy and went to bed. Teenage girl, been with family all day, excited about gifts and doesn't contact friends telling them about their day and gifts?
I'm not buying it. I think something happened the night before she 'went missing'. Maybe bc she had a great day and was a year older she found the boldness to say no to SS?? And it led to an attack?

Interview link (timestamp 6:15)

Deleted by me.

 

[MassGuy]

IF he was some kind of network / it guy (Grey Hughes video - I didn't watch, so this is a question, not a statement of fact) - in the video apparently there was a network folder with CSAM on it that the roomate found? If SS was a savy tech guy, could he have known about the grainy video by logging into /hacking (?) into it remotely? If it wasn't a super secure system is that possible?

One issue is that if he’s caught on camera at the apartments with a dead body, then any accomplice should have been captured as well. And we know that camera was good.

 

[photographer4]

One issue is that if he’s caught on camera at the apartments with a dead body, then any accomplice should have been captured as well. And we know that camera was good.

Well, we haven't heard about an accomplice as of yet. We also weren't told when he LEFT his unit originally - if they have that? I assume they might from cams locally or his phone gps etc?

We're not told where he went between 7:35-8 (something) when he returned body visible. Or after that.

 

[Forest_Wood]

Maybe from the other bday pics and the dates in his phone they were able to confirm the pics were from that date.
The mom said in an interview that Maddy came home from the party (that mom had to work through) happy with her gifts, DIDN'T GO ONLINE (said there was no time she had her phone or laptop) and she was just happy and went to bed. Teenage girl, been with family all day, excited about gifts and doesn't contact friends telling them about their day and gifts?
I'm not buying it. I think something happened the night before she 'went missing'. Maybe bc she had a great day and was a year older she found the boldness to say no to SS?? And it led to an attack?

Interview link (timestamp 6:15)

That entire interview with the mom is weird. She looks like a deer caught in headlights. And the way she nonchalantly says, "It's right next to the school. I don't know why she didn't make it." No emotional affect whatsoever for the first several minutes. And "we" is not "I' or "He". I'm just not buying it either. Something's fishy. MOO.

ETA: Is this a different video than the one where the bf was cracking his knuckles? I didn't see/hear any of that in this video.

 

[MassGuy]

Well, we haven't heard about an accomplice as of yet. We also weren't told when he LEFT his unit originally - if they have that? I assume they might from cams locally or his phone gps etc?

We're not told where he went between 7:35-8 (something) when he returned body visible. Or after that.

Out of the countless cases like this that I’ve followed over the years, I’ve never seen any killer try anything like that. This guy carried out this crime like he’d never even thought about it before.

Of course the dumpsters would be searched, and his phone would be downloaded.

And he just dumped her body above ground, with no legitimate effort to conceal it.

This all looks like a one man job to me.

 

[photographer4]

Out of the countless cases like this that I’ve followed over the years, I’ve never seen any killer try anything like that. This guy carried out this crime like he’d never even thought about it before.

Of course the dumpsters would be searched, and his phone would be downloaded.

And he just dumped her body above ground, with no legitimate effort to conceal it.

This all looks like a one man job to me.

Was he alone? WHERE did she die? Who was with her? And who decided to dump? He's not yet been charged, but I agree loads of evidence and he didn't think this through. Its like he panicked. WHen he was crying, he was crying about his own trip to the penn... not for her. Its disgusting.