Madeline Soto found dead: Body of missing Kissimmee, Florida teen girl found as mom’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns is identified as prime murder suspect in homicide investigation. Victim of sexual abuse. But what did mom know?
The search for a missing 13 year old Florida girl has come to an end after the teen’s body was found in a wooded area close to her Kissimmee, home, less than 5 days after she failed to turn up to school, Monday morning.
The body of missing teen girl, Madeline ‘Maddie’ Soto was found at 4.30pm, Friday afternoon in a wooded area off Hickory Tree Road, ‘following a tip’, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
The macabre discovery came just hours after Sheriff John Mina held a press conference in which he said that Madeline’s mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, 37, was now considered the ‘prime suspect’ in her murder in light of new developments.
Madeline Soto’s mom boyfriend sexually abused pre-teen while mom turned a blind eye
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Did Madeline Soto mother know her boyfriend was a sexual predator?
Victim of child sex abuse?
During the press briefing Mina said the missing girl’s case had become a ‘homicide investigation,’ after deeming the girl’s disappearance as a consequence of her alleged murder at the hands of the missing girl’s mother’s live in boyfriend.
It is believed Madeline was killed in Kissimmee, where her family lived in an apartment, and that Sterns moved her body in the early morning hours Monday, Mina said, FOX35 reported.
Sterns was seen driving his silver 2010 Lincoln MK car with the teenager’s lifeless body still in the vehicle after dumping her backpack and laptop in the trash, according to police.
Soto was reported missing on Monday night in Orlando, Florida after she was last seen that morning near Town Loop Boulevard and Hunter’s Park Lane. The girl was supposedly driven to Monday morning class. Except she never made it to her school.
Sterns is now in jail having been arrested on child p*** charges and sexual battery, Wednesday night. As of Friday evening, he had not been charged in connection to the girl’s murder.
The cause and manner of the Maddie’s death was now pending an autopsy.
Incriminating surveillance tape
Of note, officials said the discovered body was found wearing clothing similar to what Maddie was last wearing.
Explained Mina earlier in the day: ‘We believe he moved her body in those early morning hours, and all that is still under investigation,’
‘Searches are continuing as we speak, and we have people who are working nonstop. So every lead that comes in, every piece of evidence that we receive, we’re gonna follow up on that, and if that leads us to a new search area, we’ll be out all weekend.’
Surveillance footage seen by police revealed Sterns throwing items into a dumpster at an apartment complex in Kissimmee at 7:45am on Monday morning.
The objects were later recovered and found to be Madeline Soto’s backpack and school-issued laptop. Sterns was then captured for a second time on video as he returned back to his neighborhood with Madeline’s body said to be visible.
What went on at Kissimmee home?
Police say they believe the teenager was never dropped off at Hunter’s Creek Middle School on Monday morning having been killed hours earlier in Kissimmee.
Police said investigators discovered ‘disturbing images’ when they looked through Sterns’ phone, along with proof that he attempted to delete evidence of the related material.
After his arrest, Sterns invoked his right to an attorney and declined to speak during his interview.
Investigators said he was also the last person to see the girl.
During the search for the missing girl, authorities had enlisted the help of K9s, search teams and a piece of Madeline’s clothing to try and locate her scent.
Missing posters were also posted all over town and on social media, along with a Facebook group called ‘Madeline Soto Strong- Official support Group & Updates.’
Jenn Soto speaks up
Jenn Soto had also posted online about her daughter’s disappearance.
Wrote the mom, ‘I’m trying to hope for the best, but I’m scared for her. I want her to be okay, I want her to be safe… I don’t want her to come back harmed. I just want her back – whatever that means, I just want her back.’
Early Thursday morning the mother posted her daughter’s missing flyer on her Facebook and said: ‘Please share! Please bring Maddie home!’
The mother to date has not commented on her boyfriend’s arrest as questions are now raised as to what extent, if any, the parent had been aware of untoward advances or abuse of her daughter by her boyfriend. Or as some speculated on social media, had been covering up for her boyfriend…
Jenn Soto to date was not considered a suspect in the case.
