Found Deceased FL - Madeline Soto, 13, Missing Child Alert, 13500 blk Town Loop Blvd, Orlando, 26 Feb 2024 *arrest* #4

[Beekarina]

yes....would have been a good question as to why it was so early considering he doesnt have a job. what stood out to me is: when talking about dropping her off: "I dropped her off, everything looked fine when I drove away "was the last time WE saw her.' and:

'she looked okay she was walking toward the school when I saw her it was like any other day so I got on with MY day.' his tone changed when he said MY DAY as if what his day entailed had importance.

any other day? trying to portray his dropping off as the regular routine?

but then once again, similar to JS, when stating the last time she is seen, it was "WE".

Both SS & JS use "we" enough to make me begin to question it. Initially I thought when JS said "we dropped her off" it was just a manner of speech, but watching the interviews again, I'm really not sure. You would think SS would have said "Was the last time either of us saw her..."

It is strange to me how both SS & JS switch between "we" and "I" with respect to the drop off, AND then correct themselves. Maybe it doesn't mean anything, but it is odd.

 

[Skigh]

It works differently in the U.K ,often bodies of murder victims are kept for months. A person charged with murder is permitted to ask for a second post mortem examination to be carried out in order for them to be able to challenge anything found in the first one.

 

[BeeGirl]

SPECULATION:

Video of him loading her lifeless into the trunk. Where it would have remained for hours and hours.

I’ve thought of that. I’ve also considered they found additional pics or videos on his phone of her that they believed were incompatible with life.

 

[Beekarina]

I’ve thought of that. I’ve also considered they found additional pics or videos on his phone of her that they believed were incompatible with life.

He seems enough of a sicko to have documented something like this intentionally, and also stupid enough to have done so unintentionally.

If MS died during some kind of SA, especially if it was recorded, an even better explanation for the "accidental factory reset" of his phone. If the whole story was just going to be MS "ran away to the woods, and someone took her, etc" , why worry about your phone? You've had nasty, horrible stuff on it for years.

 

[Wishbone]

It seemed strange to me that when JS explained MS had forgotten her phone she added that there was no way to track her. Then she mentioned all the people searching for MS like it was enough and that gave me the impression that no additional help was needed in looking for her. Most times parents are begging for more help in searching for their loved ones. IMO it sounded like she didn't want her child to be found.JMO

 

[Tealgrove]

This text that Maddie supposedly sent indicating her desire to run away and live in the woods after her 13th Birthday intrigues me.

When was it sent and to whom was it sent? Did the recipient reply and if so, what was the conversation?

 

[photographer4]

Conveniently, MS "forgot" her phone that day....

Edited: or do you mean, LE should look at the typical text/phone exchanges between JS and MS? We did hear it was not typical for MS to be "out of contact" with friends and family, so yes it sounds like she was probably frequently texting and/or calling others. But then JS said it wasn't "unusual" for MS to forget her phone. So, JS, which is it?

She prob didn’t forget her phone so much as lose access to it based on the whims of her mother or Ss. Jmoo

 

[CuriousCricket]

Doubtful. I mean why dump backpack and school pc if she was not dead yet at 7:35am? She'd be needing those for school, no?

I think or wonder if perhaps she was mistaken about the time. One source, Linked In maybe, says she is/was a pet sitter. Because of my pets I keep two clocks in the house that are not changed for daylight savings time but remain the same time all year. It helps me keep their feedings more consistent. One clock is by my bed, the other in the kitchen. So, if groggy (sleep-aid induced or just wakened from a deep sleep) Jenn was awakened by Maddy at the door asking her mom if it was ok to wear shorts that day, the clock Jenn looked at would have said 8 when it was really 7 to the rest of the world. . . .

 

[BeeGirl]

It seemed strange to me that when JS explained MS had forgotten her phone she added that there was no way to track her. Then she mentioned all the people searching for MS like it was enough and that gave me the impression that no additional help was needed in looking for her. Most times parents are begging for more help in searching for their loved ones. IMO it sounded like she didn't want her child to be found.JMO

What a strange thing to say if she didn’t know SS has thrown the laptop in the dumpster. Don’t all those school-issued laptops have tracking software? I know when my child was in school, they told us flat out there was no expectation of privacy when using them because they belonged to - and were tracked by - the district.

 

[Wishbone]

What a strange thing to say if she didn’t know SS has thrown the laptop in the dumpster. Don’t all those school-issued laptops have tracking software? I know when my child was in school, they told us flat out there was no expectation of privacy when using them because they belonged to - and were tracked by - the district.

she was talking about the cell phone not the laptop but I understand your mention of the laptop maybe having tracking or such

 

[CuriousCricket]

Fully agree. I’m just pondering if potential loss of evidence due to climate and elements is making it harder to determine what exactly happened.
Like skin cells under the nails if she fought. Is it likely that those could have been preserved regardless of the exposure to elements.

Maddy was found very quickly compared to others, so I suspect the forensic experts have been able to provide most of what LE needs to determine such things from the body. Tox screens and test results might take longer to be available.

I'm wondering if they might be awash in video from bunches of sources. We already know SS was a longtime fan of sneaky photos. Plus, IF SS were selling products . . . with a worldwide, global economy who knows what may be being investigated.

However, I don't know that would keep a murder charge from being lodged against either SS or JS UNLESS somehow it tied into her death. Would it?

 

[BeeGirl]

He seems enough of a sicko to have documented something like this intentionally, and also stupid enough to have done so unintentionally.

If MS died during some kind of SA, especially if it was recorded, an even better explanation for the "accidental factory reset" of his phone. If the whole story was just going to be MS "ran away to the woods, and someone took her, etc" , why worry about your phone? You've had nasty, horrible stuff on it for years.

This is my thought. The police had to be *very* certain she was dead to change the search from that to a missing person to one to remains recovery. They have also said he moved her body but I can’t believe any surveillance video would give them this level of certainty - even the best surveillance cameras on the market have very potato quality - standard security camera quality would not enable one to tell the difference in sleeping v. awake, much less sleeping v. dead.

With their statement that they believed she was dead that morning and their statement about “early morning hours” (to me, that sounds more like 3-4 a.m. than 6-7 a.m.) I believe she was essentially murdered overnight and gone by 7:30 when he was throwing her belongings in the dumpster. They may have seen her in the car but I believe there is something else they saw that confirmed she was not alive.

If they had any reason to believe she was alive, they would need to keep searching for her as a missing person because time is critical. Something they saw removed all doubt she was dead when they said this. Can anyone confirm they had taken SS phone by the time they made this statement?

 

[Beekarina]

The "running away to the woods after turning 13" is so bizarre to me, I strongly question this coming from MS. Why wait? The woods was there when you were 12 years and 350 something days too, right? Smells of premeditation to me. I don't want to run wild with speculation, but it's very odd.

I can see a young kid telling a friend something like "I want to run away. Hate my mom or hate SS" that kind of thing is pretty typical even without the abuse. But being so specific? The woods when turning 13? and then SS dumps her in "the woods" (or something like it) right when she turns 13?

Rotten.....

LE said the texts were sent many days prior to MS' birthday party, right? And it seemed like more than one text?

Sorry for multiple edits. I'd also like to know when MS last had her phone and was freely able to communicate herself with it and had full access. I guess SS or JS could have sent the texts about the woods to someone and erased them, but then a concerned friend would have been likely to reply and ask about them? So who were the messages sent to IF they were not sent by MS? Could SS have suggested to MS they run away to the woods together?

 

[Beekarina]

It seemed strange to me that when JS explained MS had forgotten her phone she added that there was no way to track her. Then she mentioned all the people searching for MS like it was enough and that gave me the impression that no additional help was needed in looking for her. Most times parents are begging for more help in searching for their loved ones. IMO it sounded like she didn't want her child to be found.JMO

Also when SS mentioned something to the effect of "different people have said things, some possible sightings, NONE OF IT HELPFUL..."

He was clearly discouraging people frm coming forward. Such a piece of crap.

 

[photoprose1122]

she was talking about the cell phone not the laptop but I understand your mention of the laptop maybe having tracking or such

Actually she did say also that the school had tried to ping Maddie’s laptop but it was off so it was unable to be tracked.

ETA link to media thread where it mentions the laptop being pinged, for reference.

FL - Madeline Soto, 13 Located deceased Media, maps, timeline no discussion

 

[jshhanson]

One question I have, when MS body was found did someone happen upon it or was there a search on the area? If there was a search how did they know to look in that area in Osceola?

 

[Universecalling]

Maybe it isn't clear from the manner of death who killed her, and LE is hoping one of the people who were around in the last hours of MS life will elaborate?

Yes!
Just hope it doesn’t come to two of them pointing a finger at the other, and they can’t prove either of them did it.
We hope he gets what he deserves based on his current arrest, at the least. But, would hate to see them get away with it because there just isn’t enough forensic evidence bc it was ruined by the elements.

 

[shetalksinstereo]

One question I have, when MS body was found did someone happen upon it or was there a search on the area? If there was a search how did they know to look in that area in Osceola?

I thought it was because a neighbor had a sighting of his car on camera and came forward? Or the tire changing?

 

[CuriousCricket]

Well, wouldn’t they have found a GSW from the autopsy? Or a hyoid bone?

Wouldn't that depend on the wildlife activity? Some critter might have carried away something important forensically.

 

[Eli9]

Wonder if any of Maddie's friends texted her the day she was killed. As in hey Maddie why aren't you in school?